


Crunching Numbers

by PrinceofDarkness15



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Boss/Employee Relationship, CEO Ben Solo, Consensual Sex, Cunnilingus, Denial of Feelings, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, F/M, Office Sex, Oral Sex, Possessive Kylo Ren, Protective Kylo Ren, Resolved Sexual Tension, Rey and Kayel are stepsisters in this, Step-siblings, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:48:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 26,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27273682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceofDarkness15/pseuds/PrinceofDarkness15
Summary: These chapters are all in either Rey or Ben’s perspective, hopefully you’ll be able to tell which is which.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 28
Kudos: 90





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are all in either Rey or Ben’s perspective, hopefully you’ll be able to tell which is which.

My Netflix account is judging me ruefully. At least that was how it felt every single time I had to insist, _Why yes, Netflix, I am still currently watching Cursed, thank you very much._ I imagined it asking me even more invasive questions--questions that my step-sister, Kaydel would ask if she were here with me at this precise moment.

 _Are you sure you want to keep watching? Didn't you move all the way to New York for all the exciting nightlife?_ And, more importantly- _\--what kind of twenty-three year old spends their evenings watching so many TV shows and films?\_

Quickly I grabbed the throw pillow beside me, tucked it under my chin, and snuggled it close to my chest, completely ignoring the clunk of my phone as it tumbled to the floor. 

It wasn't like anyone was going to call and ask me to hang out with them anyway. I was so new to the city that I was still surrounded by boxes that desperately needed to be unpacked. But not tonight. Tonight, I was determined to sit like a stubborn bump on a lazy log and do absolutely nothing. I had a personal date with the Weeping Monk aka Lancelot. 

Raising the remote, I turned up the volume as the theme song faded and the show began. But just as the dialogue was really starting to heat up, my phone broke into the jazzy, happy tone that I'd selected for one caller in particular--my stepsister. 

_Speaking of the devil._ I let it play out, debating whether to answer. I then reached for the floor, snagged my phone from the carpet, and pressed it to my face.

"Hello?" I said, waiting for Kaydel's chipper voice to fill the speaker. 

"Rey?," she deadpanned.

"What?" I asked, already feeling defensive and biting back a low groan.

My first mistake? Answering my damn cell-phone. Knowing her, she would badger me to death about things were going for me since I had first moved into my apartment. 

"Where are you right now? I don't hear anything going on behind you. No music. Oh, please, tell me you're at some gallery looking at glorious paintings and sipping champagne," she demanded.

If things were quiet on my end, the same could definitely not be said for hers. As usual, bass-filled music blared behind her voice, getting softer as she moved through whichever Chicago bar was the flavor of the week. 

There were a lot of things a person could say about Kaydel, but nobody could ever accuse of her not knowing her way around a party. To be perfectly honest, I was shocked I didn't hear people chanting her name in the distance, begging her to join them for another shot. She was like a people magnet, and I was...well, what's the opposite of a people magnet? Whatever the answer is, that's me. 

"I'm home." I stared at the stack of brown cardboard boxes and forced a white lie from my lips because the overall truth was just too damn depressing to say. "You know, unpacking. And can you go outside or something? The music wherever you are is so loud, I can barely hear you."

"Right." I could practically hear her roll her eyes, but in a matter minutes, the music had dimmed to practically nothing. "Excuse me, but, why aren't you out?"

"Yeah, and just who am I going to go out with?"

"I don't know. You just go out. Find people to mingle with along the way." 

I sighed. "I'm not like you, Kaydel. I don't just enter a room and have people flock over towards me."

"But aren't you lonely?"

I bit my cheek. "I never said that I wasn't."

"So what are you going to do? Just sit around in your new apartment and hope that new friends magically just appear?"

"I just got a new job. I'll meet people there when I start."

Kaydel blew out a frustrated sigh. "This isn't like college or high school, Rey. You can't just expect to hang out with the people you see all day at work. We're in the modern age here, Rey. You have got to throw yourself into it. Take some risks. Get wild."

"What, like, join a chat room or something?"

"No, you freaking weirdo. Use an app. All the dating websites have find-a-friend features," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Well, ideally, I wouldn't find my friends where people are also trying to get into my pants," I said primly. 

"And why the hell not? I'm willing to bet nobody has gotten into your sensible slacks in a good long while, either," my stepsister said with a snort.

"Kaydel," I warned, but she pressed on.

"Come _on_ , Rey, everybody's doing it," Kaydel said. "What could it hurt?"

Um, my pride? I really should've said it aloud, of course, but just like everyone else, I had fallen under the magic spell that Kaydel cast on everyone she met. I wanted to please her---to let her have her way. 

She was just _so_ cool. So practically everything that I wasn't....naturally. That was one of the major differences between us. 

"Exactly," Kaydel said into the silence. "See, even you can't come up with a sensible reason not to. I'm putting you on speaker so that I cane make you an account right now."

There was the sound of fumbling, and then Kaydel's voice came back over the line once again. Something told me, I was immediately going to regret agreeing with this.

"Okay, you ready? You still have the same email address?"

Sucked up into the whirlwind that was Kaydel and at a loss to come up with a reason as to why I shouldn't do this, I nodded, and then catching myself, I said, "Uh, yeah. It's the same one."

"Great! Noe we need to come up with a catchy username for you." 

"Okay, how about Rey Johnson? My name?" I said dryly.

"Do you even use the internet, child?" Kaydel said with a low groan. "No, I think not. We don't need stalkers tracking you down and trying to make dresses out of that porcelain skin of yours."

I winced and rubbed at my temple with my fingertip. "If you're really trying to convince me that this is still a good idea, you're not doing a really good job, Kaydel."

Frankly, all of this giving me a tension headache. I glanced longingly at the TV as she continued. "Relax, Rey. We'll root out all the weirdos. Now focus here. We need a screen name. Thinking something cute. Something that speaks to who you are as a person." 

I paused, but all I could come up with was Rey Lonstocking. Between my freckles and my dark-brown hair, usually tied in braids, it was a nickname that had come all to easy to the less-creative relatives in my family.

I suggested this to my stepsister, and as expected with a lot of the things I normally suggested, she scoffed. 

"Jesus, God, no. Nothing about that at all screams sexy to me."

"I'm not trying scream sexy. I'm just trying to find new friends," I reminded her. 

"Well, we're keeping out option open," she hedged in a way that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "Besides, there's going to be a picture of you on the profile. I used that one from our cousin's wedding."

"Oh my God, the one where I'm sneezing?" I hissed, mortified. 

"No. What do you take me for, woman? There's another one. You look super cute, trust me. Now, let's focus this name on something you like to do or something about you. You're all organized, right? What about something to do with that?"

"Planning Johnson?" I suggested. 

"I don't like it. We need to make it easier." 

"Kaydel---"

"I've got it! Okay! It's typed and saved. I can't change it now."

"I'm almost afraid to ask," I groaned.

"Oh, it's nothing bad. Just, you know, roll with the punches." 

"And what punches am I rolling with here, Kaydel, hmm?" She mumbled the answer at first, so low that I couldn't hear her. "What was that?"

"I've got it! FantasyGirl29," she said more clearly the second time around.

"WHAT?!" I yelped. "Are you serious? What kind of person is looking to be "just" friends with someone who names herself FantasyGirl29?"

"What? You love fantasy stuff. You're all into, like, Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter....Star Wars, so I just thought---"

"That is not how people, mainly men, on the internet are going to read that, Kaydel."

"Oh well. What's done is done," she said in a rush. "Now we just need to answer some questions. You're a 23 year old female with a banging hot body, and you're looking for friendship, long-and-short term relationships, and casual sex." 

"Well, aren't you?" Kaydel cut in. "Be honest with me for just a second here. What would it really hurt for you to get a good, rough bone in every now and again? It's literally been ages since you and what's-his-name broke up, and I seriously doubt you found yourself a fuck-boy to get over it, so---"

I wrinkled my nose. "No, I moved away to a new city to start a fresh and get as far away from him as possible. Now come on, don't--"

"Too late. Already done," Kaydel chirped. "There's no going back now."

I pinched my nose between two fingers. "Right. Of course not." 

"Now let's answer some questions. You drink occasionally, and you don't smoke. Those are easy enough. You're definitely an animal person." 

"But I'm allergic to cats." I said.

"But you still like them. Good enough." 

"Why do I get the feeling that I should hang up and just let you do whatever it is that you're going to do?"

"Come on, Rey, don't be like that," she pleaded in that sweet voice that made me want to hand her the moon on a silver platter. "Now let's get to the real questions, shall we? Okay, if you were going to have one romantic night anywhere in the world, where would you choose?"

I thought long and hard. Some girls would say Paris. Others would say a picnic on the edge of a lake. Me? I glanced over at my TB and said, "In my apartment. Homemade dinner and some movies. It's the perfect night."

Kaydel groaned. "I'll never fully understand how our parents got married, but I'm writing it down because I love you, and surely there is someone out there who will too. Okay, next one. On a scale of one to ten, how adventurous are you?"

"One," I said. 

"Five, then," Kaydel corrected. "Nobody ever says one. They'll think you cower in your apartment all day like a hermit, afraid to even leave your house."

"Well, no offense to your creative genius, Kaydel, but that's kind of what I do."

"But people don't need to know that."

And so it went. Over and over again---for roughly a million questions--Kaydel asked me about myself and then corrected me to make me more palatable to other people. When at last we'd finished, she clicked into my profile and let out a contented sigh. 

"Okay, here's your description. Hey there! I'm Rey, and I'm looking for like-minded people to hang out with as I'm new to the city. My interests include Netflix, a good glass of wine, board-games, and snuggly couches," Kaydel said.

"Sounds good enough," I said, compromising because it was the best I was going to get from her at this point.

"Great," she said, smacking her lips with satisfaction. "Ooh, well lookie what we got here! You've already got a match!"

"What?" My stomach kicked up a team of butterflies. "Are you serious or just pulling my leg?"

"I'm dead serious. Oh, wow!" Kaydel cooed. "He's....sexy."

"I'm not looking for sexy," I reminded her.

"Oh, believe me, you're _definitely_ looking for this kind of sexy. Everyone wants this kind of sexy guy. Holy cow!" 

"And how do you know that he's not going to make a wig out of my skin or whatever it is you said?" I quickly reminded her, trying not to let the panic set in. 

"Oh, will you just relax? You can keep me on speed dial through your whole date."

"Date?" I asked.

"Yep! It's tomorrow night at the Florentine Inn. That place is super nice, I hear, so dress nice." she chirped.

"What the fucking hell, Kaydel?! I said, my palms immediately going clammy even at the thought.

"Don't worry, you don't have to thank me just yet."

"Cancel it, right now!" I shot back. "Cancel it right now, Kaydel, I'm not even fucking kidding right now!"

"No fucking way! You need to get out there, and this is the only way you're ever going to do it. I'm just giving you a gentle shove in the right direction, sis." Kaydel insisted.

"Well, how's this? I'm not going!" I spat, seething with anger.

"Oh yes you are! You _are_ going, Rey Johnson, and I will know for a fact that if you don't, you know that right?" 

It felt more like a knife in my back. Everything in me wanted to keep fighting her on this. Everything except this one, teeny tiny part of me that she feared she was right--and I was terrified to spend the rest of my adult life alone. Of sitting inside this apartment with no one to talk to and nothing to do, and, worse, getting more comfortable with it day by day until the only people I saw were workmates and Thai food delivery guys.

That part had me considering it. But just this one time....just this once. Yet, the other half of me didn't mind spending my time alone. 

"Well, tell me something about him, at least," I grumbled.

"Nope. You have to go into this with an open mind, and at least this way, I know you will."

For a female, the size of my stepsister's balls never failed to astonished me. "You're plain evil," I said. "You know that, right?"

"Yep, I am, but you are going to like this guy and end up thanking me for it. I can feel it. Now, I've got to go. When I left, some random chick was talking about riding a mechanical bull, and I'm pretty sure it's about get hilarious in there. I love you!"

She hung up, and I glared down at my phone for a long moment before sitting it back down on the coffee in front of me and staring back at the TV. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd been on a first date--maybe not since college. I'd thought, way back when, that Poe and I were going to make it, that we'd get married.

But no. He got promoted to Head Douchebag or whatever his title was at some real estate firm, and he left me in the dust. And then, with his handsome face plastered on every billboard in town promoting the firm, I quite literally couldn't get away from the guy. 

I'd needed a fresh start--something new. Different, even. So I came here to New York. And I've been wallowing and watching Netflix ever since. Though, to be fair, it had only been three days.

Placing my hands just outside my thighs, I propelled myself from the couch and made my way toward the calendar hanging from my fridge. Monday was marked with bright-green ink-- my first day at my new job. And tomorrow?

Tomorrow was a day for pink. The very color for romance. I picked a pen for a little cup near the fridge, wrote the time and place of my date on the calendar, and then stood back and smiled. Kaydel could be right. This could be my one chance to get back on the horse and spend my Friday nights somewhere other than lounging on my couch all alone.

And she was right about one other thing too. It had been a long, long time since I'd felt the warmth of a man's skin against me.

And the fact that I didn't know a thing about this guy? Well, that made it all the more terrifying...but also kind of exciting. The best part? If it didn't work it, I'd never have to see him again. Maybe Kaydel had really come up with the perfect plan this time.


	2. Chapter 2

The tension was really starting to get to me. Which, I should note, was extremely rare. Mergers fell through and clients backed out, but me? I was cool as a fucking cucumber straight out of the refrigerator. Except, of course, in times like these....

When I'd gone more than two weeks without getting laid. It was like clockwork, really. The moment the clock stroked two weeks, I felt like I was a caged animal, tense and pacing, waiting for some brief moment of release. And now, two hours after I should have gone home for the day and one hour after my assistant should have ordered my dinner? I was more pent-up than ever before.

Hungry and horny-as-fuck was almost too much for me to bear. Horngry. It was a really bad combination all around. 

Stalking back toward my desk, I pressed down on the intercom and said, "Tishra, I need you to find me a date for tomorrow night. Some internet site or something should be fine. And when is dinner supposed to be here?"

I released the button and waited for Tishra's nervous, skittering voice to buzz through the line. Nothing happened. I held back a growl and paced to the door, opening it to find...nothing. An empty desk with a neat note folded in half and labeled with my name. Taking it, I unfolded the letter and skimmed it's contents. 

_Dear Solo,_

_By the time you read this, I'm sure I'll have been gone for hours. I'm very sorry to leave this way, but I simply can't work like this anymore. I need to have a job where I can be sure I'll be able to pick up my children on time and make them supper. As I stated in my initial interview, this isn't something I'm willing to compromise. I've already informed HR of my departure two weeks ago---a fact I'm sure they told you but you've allowed to slip your mind. Thank you for the opportunity, and I'm sorry it didn't work out. As I'm sure I'll not be receiving a recommendation from you anyway, and this job will not be listed on my resume, please allowed me to provide you with some advice dealing with future assistants._

_I can't read your mind. Nobody in this place can read your mind. And you can't work people they were born specifically just--for---you. Good luck finding someone who will be able to feet your insanely high standards._

_Regards,_

_Tishra Kandia_

I blinked, reading over the last paragraph again. She had a hell of a lot of nerve telling me what I could and couldn't do when she barely knew how to type, file, or keep a damn schedule. Tossing the letter into the recycling bin, I made a mental note to confront HR first thing on Monday about my lack of assistant. 

I'd go straight to the head of department--after all, there was no reason I should have had to train eight assistants in the past three months unless the candidates they were providing me were subpar. 

Clearly, this was a systemic issue at play here that needed to be addressed. With a muttered groan, I settled into the chair behind my desk. I pulled up the Meals-to-Go app on my phone and ordered in some dinner and then opened a browser for a list of dating sites. I hated this. Hated every last detail of having to enter my personality type, and what I was looking for in a soulmate. Because, you know what?

I wasn't looking for a soulmate. I wasn't even looking for a girlfriend. I was looking for a quick, casual piece of ass. A good time in exchange for a guaranteed good time.

I briefly considered just heading to the nearest nightclub and hoping for the best. Fact was, it usually worked out in the end, but the last thing I wanted to do after a long week at work was spend four hours in a noisy club in exchange for an hour or two in the sheets. Especially if it meant having to extricate myself from a needy woman who had missed the memo. I shuddered at the very thoughts. 

I'm not an asshole. I don't lie or make promises I can't keep. But some women just can't shake the feeling that every guy they sleep with might be "the one." 

PSA: I'm not "the one." And I will never be "the one." Which was why I opted to click on a site notorious for no-strings hookups. I downloaded the app and entered all the usual information before searching the database of women looking for casual sex, just like me. 

With a bunch of them, I could tell it was a ploy at first glance. There was a needy hope in their gazes. Like, they'd say all the right things, but deep down they hoped that as soon as some poor sucker saw what was underneath their dress, they'd magically want something more from them than a good lay. Those girls, of course, I avoided like the plague. And the girls who said their idea of a romantic night was a candlelit dinner in Paris?

No, thanks. I didn't need a night with a dreamer. I wanted a dirty, uncomplicated romp in the sheets. I wanted a good casual fucking. Which was when the sixth girl in my matches caught my eye and made my cock pulse.

She wasn't my usual supermodel-lean type of girl. Her cheeks were full and smooth, rounding out a perfect, heart-shaped face, and her long mane of chestnut brown hair looked soft as silk--but it was something in her broad smile that made me click on the picture and read on.

In the description, there was another picture of her. In this one, she was dancing on a table, her wild hair flying behind her while she kicked out her feet and laughed at the camera.

She wore a low-cut black dress that accentuated her lascivious curves. I swallowed hard before glancing down at her bio. She liked Netflix and comfy couches. She was an animal person and a busy professional. 

All her sentences were quick and to the point---she clearly wasn't trying to impress anyone. Which meant maybe, just maybe, she meant what she said. I double-checked she had indeed checked off that she was interested in casual sex, and then I bit the bullet and sent her a message.

_Solo21782: Hey, are you interested in dinner and hooking up tomorrow evening?_

Quick and to the point. If she wasn't interested, I'd move on to the next girl. No harm, no foul. Within a matter of seconds, though, my screen dinged, and I clicked over to see a response.

_FantasyGirl29: Absolutely. Name the time and place._

_Solo21782: Florentine Inn. 6 o'clock, sharp._

I paused, and figured, fuck it. Might as well make sure she knew the score right out the gate. I needed to be fully sure, she knew what I wanted from her and nothing more. 

_Solo21782: Don't wear any underwear._

I waited, mildly curious to see what her reply would be. A second later, though, my screen dinged again.

_FantasyGirl29: I can't make any promises on that note._

I grinned broadly and scrolled back to her image, feeling satisfied and already a little less tense just thinking of our date ahead. One slow, hard fuck, and I'd be right as rain. Then, when I came in on Monday, I'd be able to deal with this whole HR problem without wanting to rip people's heads off at every turn.

I closed the app's messenger and penned the meeting into my date book, secretly wondering if she might dance on the table for me without her panties on tomorrow night if I asked her nicely. Damn, that would be one hell of a view....

******

During my work day on Friday, I pushed the date from my mind, focusing instead on the upcoming merger and the innumerable speeches I'd be forced to make at any given press junket or business conference. Of course, the fact that I had no assistant made the task all the more difficult.

After a few fumbling tries with the new management software, I was quickly getting the hang of things. I'd set up a meeting with Nastia from HR but had been forced to cancel when a new real estate listing had fallen through the cracks and required my attention.

I was so busy, the rest of my day went by in a blur. In fact, I barely even thought about FantasyGirl29. The end of day came just as quickly as the start, and before I knew it, five o'clock had finally come around.

As usual, I was going to stay behind for a while---the restaurant for our meetup was just around the corner---but before I settled into the pile of listings I'd set aside to go through, I picked up the receiver and dialed Human Resources. 

Nastia, the head of the department, answered the phone in monotone. "Solo."

"Nastia, how did you know it was me?"

"Who else would be calling me at five o'clock on a Friday evening?" she asked. "Everyone is gone home like a normal person. Can we make this quick, please, Solo? I do have dinner plans with my husband." 

I resisted the urge to play the world's tiniest sad violin for her, but she had a strong worth ethic and typically got the job done right the first time around, which tipped the scale in her favor in my books. Except with this whole assistant thing. That was out of hand.

"When will the agency be sending over a new schedule for me to interview?" I asked, jumping right to the point. 

"Oh no, you're not interviewing them anymore. In fact, the agency stopped working with us when the last two candidates left here in tears. I hired this new one myself."

"What? Why?" I demanded. 

"Something to do with unrealistic expectations, boss. You're burning through the candidates faster than they can send them."

"That's ridiculous! I think maybe we ought to get a new system for vetting candidates so that I can--"

"No, I don't think so. In fact, our legal team has advised me that your behavior could be stepping into hostile work environment territory, and they've asked me to handle the details of your staff from here on out. Your new assistant starts on Monday. If she doesn't work out, you can talk to our counsel and tell them you want to hire the next one yourself."

"And when am I supposed to find time to do that, Nastia? You know we're on the verge of a possible merger with Resistance Business Solutions!" I didn't mean to snap at her, but the words definitely came out a little clipped.

"Which is exactly why legal wants to keep us out of lawsuit territory. At this rate, I think the only person who'll work for you is a superhero. Nobody can keep your insane business hours. I know this place is your baby, and you're amazing at the business side of things, but you want my advice? Honestly, sir. You need to back the fuck off."

I wanted to reprimand her, but frankly, half the reason I'd hired her was for the straight talk she always provided to me. Yes-people were part of the game, but maybe-not-sir-people were twice as valuable. 

"Right, well, thanks for the help, Nastia," I said finally with a frustrated sigh.

"Yup. Have a good weekend."

The line died, and I put the receiver back down and stared at it for a long moment. I wasn't impossible to work for. I was exacting, yes, but I never asked for anything I couldn't do myself.

That was important when it came to being the boss. Or, at least, that's what I used to think. Again, the tension inside me rose, and I considered phoning my hookup and asking her to come straight to my office in nothing but a trench coat and some thigh-high boots. Unfortunately for me, that was what strippers and prostitutes did--not random strangers from a damn internet app. 

The very least I could do was buy the woman a nice meal and a good bottle of Cabernet. For a second, I allowed myself to fantasize about something easy.

A long-term casual arrangement with a woman--someone who knew what I needed and when I didn't have to get her heart involved. Someone who didn't want a ring or children but just, carnal satisfaction. 

That was all I was good for, and that was exactly what I wanted in return. "Just be glad you're at least getting laid tonight," I muttered to myself. 

Tapping my fingers against the arms of my chair. I considered the files piled high on my desk and shrugged. Tomorrow was a new day, and I could always stop by and pick up the files to work on them from home over the weekend. I needed to get out of here, stat. 

I grabbed my jacket and made for the elevators on the far side of my floor. I would be early for my date, but I needed a good stiff drink, and I couldn't sit around here waiting any longer---I felt like a damned caged animal. Shoving my hands into the pockets of my jacket, I headed toward the Florentine Inn around the corner and sidled up to the bar, ignoring the interested glances of the waitresses as I passed.

"Sapphire martini, dry as a bone, three olives." I told the bartender, and he offered me a little nod before setting to work. 

As I waited, I stared at the door, willing the girl I'd seen online to stroll in, laughing like she had done in her pictures. Fuck dinner. When I saw her, I was going to corner her and suggest we have a drink or two and then get straight to the main event.

Even now, I could feel my blood running hotter at the thought of sinking deep into her hot, tight---

"Your drink, sir." 

The bartender set my glass in front of me, and I took a sip and tried my best to relax. I enjoyed the drink and the quiet of my thoughts for a few minutes before my gaze ventured to the door again and landed on a woman who was unmistakably the one I'd been looking for.

She was walking through the wide glass doors with pink cheeks and wind-swept hair. A long tan trench coat hugged those supple curves, but based on the hint of cleavage peaking out from under her coat, I knew the pictures hadn't been a lie. She was stacked, a perfect hourglass my hands itched to trace.

Still, as she walked toward the bar on long, shapely legs, I couldn't help but think she didn't look like the one-night stand type. She looked...sweet. Almost innocent.

Maybe it was something to do with her wide hazel eyes or the curve of her full, luscious lips. More school girl than call girl. When she smiled at me, though, all my blood rushed south, and I quickly realized that nice in the streets and naughty in the sheets was okay by me.

She had a mouth and a body built for pleasure, and I couldn't wait to make her scream _my_ name at the top of her lungs later tonight. My beautiful, heart-stopping FantasyGirl29.


	3. Chapter 3

I felt naked. Not just in that fresh-out-of-the-shower way, either. Nope. As his penetrating gaze raked over me, I felt raw and exposed, like someone had pulled my skirt down in a crowd of people and I couldn't do anything to fix it. The weirdest part was, I didn't hate it.

Heat was rushing to my cheeks, and for a moment, I considered tucking tail and running from the bar, but something inside me kept moving and making my wat toward the man who hadn't stopped staring at me since I'd walked in. Maybe it was the fact that, for the first time since I got to New York, I felt energized. Excited. Full of anticipation.

There was no doubt in my mind this was the type of guy I was going for. After all, he was _exactly_ Kaydel's type of guy. If she were here, she'd be climbing him like a tree.

His unruly dark hair was a little shaggy but well kept, and his dark brown eyes were soulful and hot, assessing me and, based on the slight smile on his chiseled lips, liking what he saw. Which only made my blush deepen. He was far too handsome and intimidating to be the kind of guy I normally would have gone for.

Based on his perfectly tailored black suit, I had to guess he'd come straight from work, but even now, in the bar, he hadn't bothered to loosen his toe or take off his jacket. No, he looked like he was ready to make a fresh acquisition. And based on the hungry look in his eyes? I knew exactly what kind of merger he had in mind. _You can do this, Rey._

Clearing my throat as I reached him, I forced a friendly smile and stuck out my hand to him.

"Hi there. I'm Rey."

"Nice to meet you." His warm palm swallowed my hand and he gave me one confident pump before releasing me and motioning to the chair beside him. "Ben. Ben Solo. What's your drink?"

"Pear vodka and cranberry," I said automatically.

"Interesting combo," he said with half a smile.

"Oh when you taste it, it makes perfect sense, I assure you. Sweet and start and delicious. Heaven in a glass." I slid onto the little stool, and Ben summoned the bartender with a wave of his hand.

When the other man approached, he ordered my drink and then watched as the bartender set to work. Following his lead, I watched too and was overcome with a swell of gratitude when I saw exactly how much vodka the guy poured me. 

Something about tonight made me feel like I was going to need every single last drop. "So, I, uh, I feel like I should tell you straight up that I don't usually do this kind of thing," I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and tucked an errant strand of hair behind my ear.

"It's easy," Ben said. "You'll get the hang of it."

I nodded. "I guess just being in a new city always has its learning curves."

"I'm sure."

"Have you ever moved someplace new without knowing anybody?" I asked. 

He considered me for a long moment and then shook his head. "I travel a lot, but I've always lived in the city." 

"I see. So...you travel."

He took a sip of his drink, surveying me over the rim. God, what I wouldn't do to get him to stop looking at me like that. Like I was the next, most delicious course on the menu. It made me hot in all the right places, but it also made it hard to focus on anything he was saying.

"I do," he said simply.

"For work? What sort of job do you have?"

He shook his head. "For work, yeah, but I really don't want to talk about work. I want to talk about you." 

"Me?" I raised my eyebrows and then gave the bartender a grateful nod as he set my drink down in front of me.

"You. There's nobody else in the room more interesting." He offered me another smile, and I glanced away, my heart beating faster in my chest.

"I don't know about that." I took a swig of my drink.

"You don't have to. I already know. Now tell me about yourself, Rey."

I let out a nervous laugh. "There's honestly not that much to tell you. My stepsister's actually the one who setup the profile on the site, not me."

"Really?"

I nodded. "She's younger than me, but only by a few years. Our parent's got married when we were in our late teens. You know how they can be sometimes?"

"Actually, I don't. I'm an only child." He shrugged.

"Oh, well, you'd think that the older, more mature sibling is the one who thinks they know everything, but when it comes to Kaydel---my stepsister---it's totally different. Our parents let her get away with murder, so she basically thinks a person can do anything they want."

"And why can't they?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Well..." I swallowed hard. "....you know, responsibilities and stuff."

"So what do you want to do right now that you feel like you can't? What would you sister do in this moment?"

 _Rip your clothes off and tell you to have your wicked, wicked filthy way with me...._ No, wait a minute. Where the hell did that even come from? I don't go and say things like that, do I?

I swallowed hard and shook my head. "Sorry, but nothing seems to come to mind."

"Well, then, you tell me when something does."

I nodded, sucking in my cheeks as I looked away for what felt like the millionth time since I first walked into the bar. The intensity of his gaze was beginning to get to me, and already I wanted to fan myself, despite the comfortable temperature of the room.

"Tell me something else," he said, and his fingers brushed against mine. I glanced down, all too aware of the electric tingle coursing through my body at his touch.

"I don't know," I spluttered. "But I'm really starting to wonder what my sister wrote about me on my profile."

"You mean you haven't seen it?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Nope. Like I said, she does whatever the hell she wants to."

"But you're still sitting here. Why?" he asked, cocking his head and eyeing me speculatively. 

"Because....I was curious," I admitted. 

"And is your curiosity satisfied now?" He sipped on his drink. 

I opened my mouth to answer and then closed it again. Why did it feel like everything out of this guy's mouth was just some method to get me to admit that I wanted him, rough, and ready, from the second I'd laid eyes on him? And, more importantly, why did I like that about him? 

What was happening to me? Where was homebody, keeping-to-herself, Rey? The one who liked to sit in her apartment, lounging in her pj's, watching her Netflix TV shows?

"You're not the usual kind of guy I see," I confessed, hoping that he wouldn't notice my sudden change of subject.

"No?" he asked. "And how is that?"

"You're....you're just different."

"I got that." The slight smile returned, and I took another sip of my drink to steady myself.

"So, do you always dress like this?" I pointed to his suit.

"Duty calls and it's a habit. I tend to work quite a lot."

"Yeah, I was getting that vibe when I approached you," I said.

"And what other vibe are getting at, Rey? Please, tell me, I'd really, _really_ like to know."

_That you want me to slide off my panties and give them to you as a personal trophy? Or maybe you'd like me to bend over this stool in front of all of these people as you admire my nakedness?_

"That's you're the type of man who is used to getting what he wants," I said, compromising. That was true too and a little safer. 

"You're right. I am." This time the smile was a full-on grin, like a feral Alpha male wolf, who'd just spotted a tasty-looking sheep. 

My heart thudded a little faster in my chest that time, and I gripped my drink, swirling it nervously in my hand. It was safe to say this was the most intense--and somehow terrifying--conversation I'd ever had with a man, but I still couldn't work up the courage to get up and go. And more than that?

I didn't want to. Not even a little bit. My blood was singing as my brain tried to imagine what would happen from here. Something about this guy---whether it was his dark stare or the way he smiled like he hadn't had much practice at it---intrigued me. Attracted me. Just looking at his rugged square jaw made me need to squeeze my thighs together to quell the ache rising there.

He was the most handsome man I'd ever set eyes on, and there was no doubt what he wanted from me....and what I wanted to give him in return. 

Swallowing hard, I forced myself to press on, if only to avoid being swallowing up by his intense gaze. "Actually, uh---" I cleared my throat---"I didn't even see your profile. My sister just sort of picked you for me."

"And let me guess, you're starting to wonder what it says about me? Since I'm so different than the rest of the guys you normally hook up with and all?" He raised his eyebrows, his lips tilting into a slight smirk.

"Sort of," If only he knew. 

"I can tell you in a nutshell." He took a long sip of his drink. "The picture of me is from a magazine article that I was in a few years back."

"Magazine?"

He nodded. "I don't actually like the picture itself, but I was handy at the time."

"Well, apparently, it was enough to impress my hair-brained sister," I said.

"And is she less discerning than you? Is that why I'm so different from all of your other usual dates?"

I smiled, starting to relax into our banter for a brief second. "That's not what I said, now is it?"

"But is it what you meant?"

I glanced away and swirled my drink, thinking harder than I normally would've had this been a different situation. "I'm just...I'm just a very low-key sort of girl. I'm betting that the magazine, was, what....forty under forty successful bachelors?"

"You're close. Thirty under thirty. It was a few years ago." He tipped his glass toward me in silent cheers for the close guess.

"See? Yeah, I've never been out with a guy like you before."

"Until now?"

"Until now," I agreed.

"And what do you think of me so far?" he asked, his intense, dark gaze appraising me.

_That I'm in way over my head....that you're completely out of my league....that I still want you so badly that I can almost taste it....that I'm fucking insane for evening agreeing to this...._

"That...." I weighted a few more answers but couldn't escape the truth. "....that I have no idea what I'm even doing here with someone like you, Ben."

"Do you want to know a little secret?" he asked, momentarily catching me off guard. 

"Sure, why not."

"I'm just like every other man you've ever met in your lifetime, Rey. When I look at you, I see a beautiful young woman who I'd very much like to take back to my place and undress, one piece of clothing at a time."

"That wouldn't be very hard since I'm only wearing a dress to begin with." I let out a nervous laugh and ignored the urge to slap my forehead and curse at my own stupidity. 

"Don't think that hasn't occurred to me since I first saw you walk into this bar." His voice was low and husky, and followed by a sensual predator's grin.

I swallowed hard. "I'm betting here and now that you're not the kind of guy who wants to chat over breakfast tomorrow morning, am I right?"

"I'd say that you'd be the winner if you made that bet. I think you like that about me." He snubbed a hand over his jaw and then moved closer, tucking an errant strand of my hair behind my ear as he leaned in closer. "I can also tell you what I want from you down to the very last detail, but it can't be here." he whispered, his warm breath, sending an involuntary shudder through me.

"Why not?" I breathed, captivated.

My heart thrummed in my chest, in my ears, in my lips, and I closed my eyes, savoring the sweet smell of his aftershave as he inched still closer to me---so close that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. 

"Because when I tell you what I need from you, we're going to be in private. And I'm guessing you'll give me everything I ask for."

It wasn't even a question. It was a demand. There would be no courtship here. No shy undressing and awkward first time. No giggling as he fumbled with the hook of my bra and pressed chaste kisses along the column of my throat. Whatever happened between us, it was going to be rough and needy and passionate.

But more than that, it was going to be exactly the way he wanted. And my curiosity about what that entailed was getting the better of me.

"So where do you suggest we go, then?" I asked.

He smiled wide, flashing a dimple I hadn't yet seen. "Believe it or not, I have just the place."

I took one last sip of my drink, knowing I'd need a little liquid courage to get me through the rest of this night, and then I offered him my hand. Ben set some money on the bar and whisked me out onto the busy street. 


	4. Chapter 4

The property was just around the corner, so we didn't have far to walk. It was also on the edge of the industrial part of the city, and it looked every bit the remnant of a time long past. The walls were a dusty gray, and the steel framework surrounding the factory-like architecture was less than inviting. For a moment, her sure grip slackened in my hand, and I squeezed her palm, reassuring her.

"We're here," I said.

"And which is where?" she asked hesitantly.

"It was a lightbulb factory at one point and time," I said as I motioned to the dark exterior. "Can't really tell that now."

"And you brought me here because....?" She raised her eyebrows in a cautious manner.

"Because I have something inside that I want to show you. You've just got to trust me." I pulled out my phone and entered the code for the Bluetooth lock, opening the creaky, rusted gate, and then motioned for her to join me. 

"Look, Ben, as much as I love following strangers from the internet into abandoned warehouses, I'm going to have to take a hard pass on this one."

I grinned, not for the first time tonight, and handed her my phone. She was sexy as well as funny. It was a heady combination and one that I hadn't seen in a very long time. 

"Here. You can hold on to this if it makes you feel any better. You can even get 9-1-1 cued up and ready to go. And, by the way, there's a GPS tracker for blind dates on the dating app we used to meet, you know."

Some of the apprehension cleared from her pretty face, and her expressive sapphire eyes filled with relief. "Clever, Solo."

She held on to the phone, though, as she followed me into the massive hallway, our footsteps echoing off the walls as we made our way over towards the elevator. 

"So, how do you know about this place?" she asked.

"My company owns it. We just bought it, actually. I was just here a few days ago, but nobody in town will see us. They all think the place is crazy haunted."

"I can't see why they would think something like that." she said with an eye roll.

She followed me into the lift and waited as it groaned to life. After a long pause, we began our slow ascent. I looked at her from the corner of my eye. She really was gorgeous. In fact, she was likely the hottest woman I'd been out with in ages but totally different at the same time.

She didn't have the same cool, almost chilly exterior that I was used to when it came to women, and despite her even features, wide-eyes, full lips, and ridiculous curves, she seemed wholly unaware of the package she created. She was completely comfortable in her skin, I could tell that much, but she wasn't cocky about her looks either.

I was guessing she wasn't at all interested in Botoxing and manicuring herself to the last degree. Somehow, I liked that about her. 

The elevator stalled and then yawned, the grated doors sliding apart. Above us, the warm spring day was cooling into night and the clear, blue sky was fading into violet and maroon. "You brought me to the roof?" she said, but then she turned around to face me. "How does a place like this have this kind of roof?"

I offered her a smile. I'd know that it would impress her. If it hadn't, I never would have brought her here to begin with. _Since when did you feel the need to impress a one-night stand?_ a little worried voice piped inside my head.

But I quickly quieted it with a mental smackdown. All that mattered was that we had all the makings of a hot night in front of us. The cement tile of the roof had been converted into an urban garden, complete with flower beds and a twinkle-lit grotto with cushy casual seating and a fire pit. Vines climbed up every wall, and the curved opening to the grotto invited us with a soft gust of wind.

Walking toward it, I pressed a button to light the fireplace and then flicked on the sea of miniature lights, watching as Rey's eyes widened in surprise. 

"We're converting the factory into high-end apartments. This will be a community area. We wanted the whole place to be green and organic to fit a certain type of buyer. The interior designer needed to do it first so the plants had time to grow and flourish here. So what do you think?"

"I think....I think this place is incredible!" She settled onto the plush red sofa beneath the concave glass ceiling of the grotto, the twinkling lights shining in her eyes.

"The soft light suits you. It really brings out the color in your eyes," I said to her. Her smile faltered for a moment as my gaze met hers, and that familiar, curious glow overtook the hollows of her pale cheeks. "What's on your mind?" I asked.

She blushed a deeper crimson. "Nothing."

I then took a seat beside her, leaned close, and cupped her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze. "Come on, you can tell me."

Her eyes blazed with something unreadable, and then she wet her lips. "Well, we're in private now. So I was thinking of what you said before....you know....back at the bar, I mean. About how you were going to tell me what you want."

Her words hit me straight below the belt, and my cock went instantly stiff as a board. Brushing a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, I moved closer still, my warm breath against the shell of her ear. "First, I want to kiss you." 

And then I did. Just a brush of lips over those full trembling lips of hers. She shivered at my touch, and I cupped the nape of her neck, holding her closer to me. "What else?" she breathed.

"And then....I want to watch you undress for me....slowly."

"But..." Her voice was nothing more than a whisper.

"Not buts," I murmured. "I want to see you, Rey. All of you."

Against there was another flicker of hesitation, so long this time that I wondered if she might duck out altogether. Instead, though, she slid away from me and stood just beside the fire, the light flickering on her creamy skin. Slowly, carefully, she reached behind her and unfastened the buttons of her dress. Then, gripping the hem of the fabric, she pulled it over her head and allowed her hair to brush down against her naked collarbone.

Beneath the dress, she wore nothing but sheer white panties and a matching bra that highlighted the long, smooth plane of her stomach and the curve of her full breasts. 

She shifted slightly as I drank in her toned, shapely legs. My throat was dry as fuck now, but I managed to grit out another command. "Everything," I muttered, pointing to the scrap of lace covering her. "I want it off. I want to see you. All of you."

"And what about you?" she asked, though it didn't stop her from unfastening the clasp of her bra.

"All in good time. But I've been imagining what you look like under that dress all night."

She let the bra fall straight to the floor, and my gaze raked over her tight, pink nipples. They were straining peaks waiting for me to suck and tease, and if it hadn't been for the fact that she was already reaching for her panties, I might have closed the distance between us and forgotten my earlier demands.

As it was, though, she stepped from her underwear and showed me the trimmed patch of hair leading directly to the spot I wanted to lap with my tongue and tease until my name was dripping off her lips and was the only sound filling the night air.

Blood quickly rushed to my ears as I held back a stiff groan, suddenly feeling every single second of the past couple of celibate weeks in full force.

"Now, I want you to get on that sofa, spread your legs, and touch yourself."

"But you---"she started.

"I'm used to getting what I want, Rey," I finished for her.

She closed her mouth and followed my command, her fingers drifting gently to her folds and teasing the space there in rhythmic little circles. Goddamn, that was so sexy. Watching her, I loosened my tie and slid it off, and then started on the buttons of my crisp, white linen shirt. 

As I went, I watch her, and her gaze never left mine. I couldn't look away even if I wanted to, she was that enticing and delicious. 

"You know what I want?" I said. "I want to watch you play with yourself until you're all nice and wet for me. Then, when you're ready for me and on the verge of screaming from playing with yourself, I'm going to get down on my knees in front of you and lick that pretty pink space between your legs until you cum with my name on your lips."

Her breath hitched, and I tossed aside my shirt, making way for my pants. I had her exactly where I wanted her--- _that's right, Rey, you know I can take whatever I want. You know it, too._

"And then, when you've cum so hard that you're not sure you can ever cum again, I'm going to show you what it's really like to have a man inside you. I'm going to make you claw your fingernails down my back and beg for release."

"And then what?" Her voice was needy, breathy, and she moved her hand faster with every word, delicate little strokes that made my blood run hot and my hands quake with the need to touch every square inch of her. 

"And then maybe I'll let you cum when I'm inside you. But only maybe." I stepped from my pants and pulled off my socks. Then, in nothing but my boxers, I took another step toward her. "Now tell me, do you want me to kiss you, Rey?"

She gave me a quick, needy nod, and I sank down to my knees in front of her, kissing my way up her thigh until I found the place where her fingers still lingered. Then, taking each finger in turn, I kissed the tips and pushed them aside to see her slick pink clit. 

"Fuck," I growled, feeling almost light-headed with the weight of my need for her.

"I'm close, Ben," she warned with a stunned little laugh. "Like, so close."

"I know you are," I said, and then I circled the tight bundle of nerves with the tip of my tongue before dipping lower, laving her slick folds and teasing hers sweet pink center.

Delicious. She was like hot silk drenched in the sweetest honey. All rational thought collapsed as I delved deeper, stroking now, faster....harder. 

"Ben," she hummed, her fingers driving into my hair, anchoring me closer.

"Yeah, that's it," I murmured against her, the scent of her driving me absolutely wild, making my heart pump in double-time. "Say it, Rey. Say my name!"

She obliged, then hum quickly turning into a low chant as I worked her plump, swollen flesh. She trembled, and I gripped her hip with one hand a I slid the other between her satin thighs. Higher and higher until I felt it. That wet, needy heat. She held her breath, freezing below me as I pushed a finger inside her tight channel.

My cock gave a needy throb as her tight grip closed around my finger, hugging me in a carnal embrace. "Ah, Ben!"

I could feel it in her every move, hear it in her voice. She was going to cum, and I couldn't fucking wait for it. I nudged that tight bundle of nerves again in the lightest of caresses and felt her walls break apart at my touch.

She shuddered, writing into my mouth with quick, frenzied jerks of her hips. Her fingers weaved tighter through my hair, burying my face against her, willing me to consume her....work her through until the very last tremor subsided. And I did. All the while, I listened as she called my name like a prayer, twitching and flexing, milking every last drop of pleasure from her climax.

When it was finally over, she felt back onto her elbows, gasping. "That was....wow." She shook her head, face glowing as she smiled down at me. "That has never happened to me before, not that fast, I mean."

I heard her words, but they were far away, obliterated by the blood that still pounded in my ears like a heartbeat. I wasn't done with her yet. Not even close. 

"Oh, sweetheart, we're just getting started." I ground out, pressing one last long, sucking kiss to that sweet, soft flesh before pulling away and withdrawing my finger with not a little regret.

She was hot. Like fire. So responsive and sensual, but I could barely feel the droplets of cum weeping from the slit of my manhood, and my balls were aching. She'd cum again. I'd make absolutely sure of it. But this time, she was going to cum wrapped around my shaft. I could feel it. 

I got back to my feet, paced to my slacks, and grabbed the condom I kept there for just these sorts of occasions. Ripping the foil carefully with my teeth, I stepped out of boxers and then slid the latex over my aching length. I gripped myself, hoping to quell the now-painful need surging inside me, but when her gaze fell on my member, her eyes widened and she gave me yet another slight shake of the head.

"Ben, I..."

This wasn't the first time I'd seen that expression on a woman's face. She was nervous, and seeing exactly how hard I was, I couldn't blame her, honestly. She was a tight little thing, and I had been blessed in the size department. What could I say?

"Tell me right now you don't want me," I murmured, stroking up and down, a bolt of satisfaction rushing through me as her gaze followed my motions and she wet her lips. "Tell me here and now that this isn't what you want, Rey, and I'll forget it altogether."

"It's not that." Her words were soft, and I knew she meant every last one of them. "You're just....bigger than I had expected, is all."

"I'll take that as a compliment on your behave and that's good," I said. "Because it's time for round two." 

After that, were were no words to protest. Instead, she wriggled closer to the edge of the sofa and parted her legs, making way for me to join her. 

"No," I said, sitting down in the space she'd just left. I took her hand and guided her closer. She dropped it to my hard length and stroked me with her tantalizing oft palm.

It was almost enough to make me forget what I'd wanted. Her sweet, tentative stroke on my needy, rock-hard flesh. But then I pictured her above me, gorgeous tits bouncing, mouth parted as she cried out, and I shook my head at her again. 

"You're going to ride me, baby. Fast or slow. It's totally up to you. I just want to feel you cum around my cock before this is all over."

Her breath caught, but again she made no sign of protest. Getting onto her knees, she made her way toward me and then straddled my lap, rolling her hips up and down in a slow, torturous rhythm. One inch. Then two. Then out again. Three inches, then four, then out.

On and on, just a little deeper each time, wetting me with her juices, swallowing me bit by bit--until she she gripped my base and pushed me so deep inside her my eyes nearly crossed from the sheer molten heat. If she interested in getting to the finish line quickly, she didn't show it. Instead, she circled her arms around my neck and kept up her slow and steady pace, rising and falling slowly and pushing her breasts into my face with every stroke.

I cupped one in my hand, sucking a pink nipple until she gave me an approving squeeze and worked me faster, rewarding my tongue for it's good work.

"You like that, baby," I murmured before taking her other nipple into my mouth and rolling the tip of my tongue around it's peak. "Show me how much you like it."

Hell, did she ever. With her arms still circling around my neck, she threw her head back and rolled her hips, taking just my throbbing head inside as she dipped in shorts bursts and then longer, needier strokes, pounding over me.

Slamming her hips down onto mine with a resounding _slap._ She was losing control---and fast. I gripped her ass, feeling the drag of her hot flesh against mine as she worked my shaft deeper into her pussy. 

"That's it, baby," I murmured, my voice husky with the need to cum. "Let me feel you cum again."

My balls drew up, but I closed my eyes, sucking her nipple still harder and willing myself to hold out for her. Her walls quaked and shuddered, and then I couldn't take it anymore. Grasping her hips firmly, I guided her up and down, impaling her with my cock in powerful thrusts until I was so deep inside her she ground out my name.

"Ben, yes, Ben, I'm going to---" Her words broke off, and she shook in my arms, her mouth falling open as she squeezed around me so tightly I couldn't hold back anymore.

I slammed her hips down on mine as we came together in greedy, gasping thrusts. Hot liquid spurted forward into the condom in a rush as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over me. It was, hands down, the hottest sex of my life, and when she finally from on top of me, I pulled off the condom with a sudden rush of disappointment.

Not because the sex hadn't been amazing or anything. It had. It had been so mind-blowing that I was already wishing we'd taken it slower or could do it again. But she was already standing on shaking legs, gathering up her clothes, and getting ready to go.

It should've made me happy. Hell, this was living the dream. Hook up with a super hot, funny girl. Have the best sex of my life. Walk away, no hard feelings, no strings attached, no drama, and no bullshit.

Instead, I was actively resisting the urge to drag her back down on top of me and ask her if she wanted to stay with me. _Amateur move, man, and you fucking know it._

That kind of shit was what got a guy like me saddled with a woman who thought she was your girlfriend and tried to get you to go to her sister's wedding with her. Not Rey, though, She was already dressed and slipping on her shoes. 

"I...um, I should go now. I'm just going to get an Uber back to my car. But that was....um, thank you. That was exactly what the doctor ordered," she murmured, her cheeks a charming shade of pink. "I hope...well, I hope you have a good rest of your evening, Ben Solo."

She might look innocent, but this was a girl who knew the drill. Perfect. So why did part of me wonder why she was so eager to get away from me? 


	5. Chapter 5

I had laid out my outfit the night before. Every last detail--my makeup, my jewelry--had all been planned to a T. So why, then, did it all suddenly feel so wrong? I stared into the mirror, wondering if the deep-crimson dress I wore hugged my curves a little too tightly or if the particular shade clashed with my chestnut hair.

I'd opted for my glasses instead of contacts, and the thick, black frames I thought looked smart and trendy at the store now made me wonder if I looked more like Drew Carey than a sharp, capable professional. 

Which, of course, was fine either way. I was going in for my first day of work, not planning a date. My thoughts turned to my scorching hot-hookup from this past weekend. And, damn, it had been hot.

Even now, I should have been focusing on making a good impression and getting myself together, I found my mind drifting back to that night. No man had ever spoken to me that way---like I was the most desirable woman in the world.

And the way he'd taken control of my body--like he knew better than I did on how to make me feel good. A shudder went through me, and I could feel my nipples go tight.

Shaking my head, I quickly yanked the red dress over my head and opted instead for the pair of nondescript black slacks on another hanger in front of me, pairing it with a sensible, white-button down shirt. I hooked my finger under the collar of a short, black jacket to match and called it good.

True, the outfit made me look more like a waiter, but it was just standard enough to be completely unnoticeable. Perfect, polished, and professional. Just like I wanted it to be.

Certainly nothing like the cheeky little tramp from the other night. My cheeks flushed again, and I forced thoughts of Ben out of my mind one last time. It wasn't like I'd ever see him again, so what was the point of me obsessing over it? With a deep breath, I checked the time and grabbed my purse from the table by the door before making my way out of my apartment and onto the busy city street.

My apartment was in the business district, not far from my new office building, so walking it was a nice way to take in the beautiful spring weather. 

Less nice was the constant swarm of perpetually irritated, stressed-out people who raced around the streets in this part of the city during the early morning rush, but I was nothing if not adaptable. I pulled my planner from the front pocket of my purse, glanced down at the address again, and turned the corner with my head held high. Here, in this sea of busy-looking people, I wanted to fee like I fit in. 

To feel like I was ready to start a career as the right-hand woman to one of the most successful real estate moguls in the city. I as cool and confident and strong.

I was even the kind of woman who could gave a random fling with a guy and head into work on a Monday morning with a clear head. I was independent and a total badass. With these mantras running through my head, I stepped inside the building beelined for the elevators. 

Straightening my Buddy Holly glasses, I pressed the button and forced a smiled as the set doors in front of me slid open. With quick strides, I boarded the elevator and then closed me eyes and waited for the doors to clang shut again and carry me off to my fresh, new start. Before they did, however, I heard the soft thump of feet against the door, so I opened my eyes to greet the stranger who joined me.

When I opened my mouth to speak, though, I found my throat had gone completely dry. Blood rushed to my head. No, this could not be happening. All the good work I'd done to get him out of my head and there he was, standing right in front of me.

Ben, my "date" from the other night, selected his floor with the same, cool confidence I'd felt only moments before. That, however, was long gone. In fact, it was so far gone that I couldn't seem to remember what it felt like anymore.

My knees were rubber, and I wobbled where I stood, overcome by the powerful memory of exactly what had happened the last time this man had entered my life....and my vagina. Hysterical laughter threatened to bubble from my lips and I bit my bottom one, hard. Maybe if I didn't make eye-contact and just kept my trap shut, he wouldn't even notice me.

After all, with my business suit and glasses, who knew? Superman seemed to get by playing Clark Kent with a problem. He turned, though, and met my gaze with instant recognition.

For a split-second, I thought his face might have betrayed that same shock I knew had to be plainly displayed on mine, but then his features smoothed and he said coolly, "Rey, nice to see you. I didn't realize you worked here."

I shook my head. "I don't. Or you know, I didn't. I'm just..." I swallowed, trying to regain my bearings. What was it about this guy that made all my words come out in full fluent Idiot? "Today is my first day," I added lamely.

"Congratulations, then." He nodded. "I'm sure you'll like it here."

"I'm sure, I will," I agreed.

For a long moment, neither of us said a word to one another. Instead, we stared at each other, both apparently at a loss for what to say. In truth, I didn't know if I ought to have apologized for leaving the way I had after our night together. 

And, if I was being even more painfully honest, deep, deep down, I was harboring a pathetic and ill-advised hope that me might want to ask me out again. But no. He stood there, looking at me.

Seeing through me and making me feel just as raw and exposed as he had that night in the bar...and later. My cheeks burned, and I glanced down at the floor as the elevator dinged and slowed to a stop. Five. I was going to fifteen. But then, if I got off here, I could catch the next elevator and finally be free of him and his gaze.

"Well, this is me." I muttered and then clutched my purse a little tighter and scurried from the car as another woman took my place and nodded to Ben. 

"Mr. Solo," she murmured, and my ears pricked up.

Eyes wide, I spun around, but the elevator doors were closing as my breath caught in my chest. Mr. Solo? As in _the_ Mr. Solo? The CEO and owner of this company? Mr. Solo, who also happened to be my new boss? There had to be some mistake. Maybe it was a family-run business and Ben had a brother or father who was in charge. Yes, that had to be it. 

Heart beating out of my chest, I pressed the elevator button again. When the next one arrived, I climbed in, joining a group of weary-eyes workers. Nobody bothered to greet me as I stepped on, and I followed their lead, too tied up into knots to speak to them anyways.

Still, as the elevator climbed floors and people stepped off to start their day, my knees weakened. I tried to convince myself that surely karma couldn't be this cruel. 

Besides, a guy like Ben couldn't be the CEO of this company. He had the cockiness for the job, for sure, but he wasn't nearly old enough. Guys like Mr. Solo--my boss--would have spent their entire lives building up an empire like this. A thirty-something guy could never manage such a feat. 

Not on this scale. No matter how cocky or good-looking he was. The doors dinged, and I glanced at the numbers before stepping off and glancing around. The floor was filled with cubicles as far as the eye could see, and at the very end of the room was a huge office with wide, glass walls. 

The blinds of the room were closed, and I hitched my purse a little higher on my shoulder before starting for my destination. As I walked, nobody in their cubicles turned to look at me.

I focused on my mission, all the while doing my damnedest to convince myself that when I did knock on that door, Ben would not be the man to answer it. I inhaled deeply, lifted my hand, and knocked carefully, holding my breath as heavy footfalls sounded on the carpet. And then the door swung open to reveal him. 

My new boss. And the hottest fuck of my life. Benjamin Organa-Solo. Oh, just _fucking_ kill me now, God. Strike me down with lightening and cast my soul to the flames. 

And he was staring at me in a way that left no doubt he was remembering every second of our night together. Heat rose to my cheeks, and I glanced around him, hoping against hope that he'd merely been in the office talking to his superior. But I knew that wasn't the case. Because in this office? Ben _was_ the superior. I shuddered, thinking to myself, how could I have done this? I'd slept with _my_ boss. 

"I think there's been some sort of mistake here," I spluttered. "The HR department hired me and told me that I'd be Mr. Solo's new assistant, but I think they gave me the wrong person. Surely, there is another person in this building with that same last name. I should go to the office and---"

"There was no mistake," he said with a clipped nod. "I am the only Mr. Solo in this company and I'm in need of a new assistant, and it looks like the HR department picked you as my choice. What a coincidence."

I shook my head. "The odds of that are really a little bit--"

"Yes, I know." He looked so damn calm. In fact, he didn't even seem all that surprised by this most recent turn of events. "But what can we do, right? You're already here, you might as well make the most of it."

How could he do that? How could he even say that to me? Like it didn't even matter. How could he pretend this wasn't the weirdest, most-off putting thing that had ever happened in the history of time? Here I was, freaking-the-hell-out and he was just standing there as cool and as calm as cucumber. I had to admire his calm demeanor, for I knew I could never achieve that. 

"I'm sorry. Umm, but this is super awkward, even for me, Ben. Look, I'll just stop by HR and tell them to find you someone else. This is clearly a bad idea." I spun on my heel to head back toward the elevators, my heart still pounding in my chest. 

_Damn it all._ I'd needed this job. My savings were beginning to dwindle and if I didn't fix that soon, I was going to have to ask Kaydel for money. And that would be a fate worse than death for me.

If she thought she could boss me around now, she'd be insufferable if she also had me under her thumb financially. Still, how could I work with a guy who looked at me the way Ben did? Like I was the final course in the world's most indulgent meal? How could I file and schedule and organize for a man, when, every time I bent down, I knew he would imagine every last detail of what was happening beneath my slacks?

I couldn't, that's just it. It was wrong. But more than that--it was far too tempting. I took the first step of my walk of shame back to the elevator, when his deep voice rumbled behind me.

"Rey, wait." A large hand closed around my bicep and spun me around so fast that I nearly stumbled. "Don't leave, please."

Blinking, mouth agape as I struggled for air, I found myself staring into Ben's penetrating gaze. I shook my head. "Look, please don't feel bad for me, Ben. There is really no reason to drag this out and--"

"I'm not doing it because I feel bad, Rey." He blew out a sigh and dragged a hand over his square jaw. "I looked at your resume," he said, preempting my question.

"Okay," I said. "And what of it?"

"Truth is, I need you. You can't just go. I haven't had a truly experienced assistant in months, and I desperately need one." There wasn't a hint of pleading in his voice, but I could tell he meant every word he said. "Look, the company is about to take on a major acquisition, and we're going through a huge merger. And I need help. I can't wait around for another assistant to just show up at my doorstep. Especially another one as qualified as you. If you can be professional, I can be professional. We're both adults, here. I don't see what happened between us being a problem."

I blinked again? Seriously? After all the panting and moaning and sweating and grinding and.....everything else we'd done together? He wanted me to work side by side with him? 

Even now, my throat was threatening to close at the thought. Had it really meant so little to him....been so run-of-the-mill until he could see me and not be completely accosted by the memory of our time together, like I was? Damn, talk about receiving a reality check, or the better term, getting your cake and eating it too. 

"Please, Rey, I need the help and you need a job. Don't walk away from this."

I considered him for a long moment. The right decision here was to leave and to forget him altogether. I'd know it from the second I'd seen him on elevator. But instead my mouth made an executive decision for me because, just like the other night, I couldn't seem to say no to this man. 

What the hell was wrong with me? I knew Ben Solo would be more trouble for me than he was worth---why the _fuck_ had I agreed to stay and work for him? It was like inviting myself into the lion's den to become his next meal!

"Fine, all right, we'll give it a try." I said, not believing that I was actually agreeing to this and was going to stay. 

"Excellent." He offered me a clipped nod, looking for all intents and purposes, like he'd never even considered another response out of me.

The thought only solidified my new theory. I wasn't the only one who couldn't say no to him. I was more sure than ever that it was a word he wasn't used to hearing much from anyone. 

"Well, then, let's get started, shall we?" he said, gesturing towards his office.

His gaze lingered on me, studying me and seeing through me the way he had the last time I'd seen him. For a brief second I saw a flush of that carnal heat I'd seen in his eyes when we'd first met. And in the space of that one tiny fraction of a second? I knew I'd just made the biggest mistake of my life. 


	6. Chapter 6

"The previous assistant left you a manual to follow that you'll find waiting for you on your desk. I'll be in meetings all morning, so it should give you plenty of time to look over the materials and make sure you don't have any further questions." I glanced at her from the corner of my eyes, but she was too busy staring down at the floor to even be bothered looking at me.

Then again, she could have just been looking away in the interest of self-preservation. And after all, who could blame her? Even in the bellboy outfit she was wearing, I couldn't help but feel the urge to pull her to me right then and there and rip all of her clothes off. 

It had to be something chemical, something purely scientific that made me feel this way about her. Like my testosterone could see her pheromones' or something.

Either that or the fact that she'd been the best damn lay I'd ever had in my life. My groin ached at the memory even now, and God only knew how the next few days might start to wear away at my resolve. If she bent over to file something in front of me and her skirt was short enough.....

I flexed my jaw, fighting the urge to crowd her against the wall and bury my face in those full, around tits she was working so hard to hide behind the shapeless shirt and jacket she was wearing. In spite of my words, I had no intention of keeping her on. It would be an untenable situation during a time where I needed to focus most on my business.

Still, I had a mountain of shit to get through this week, and there was no way I was going to be able to replace her quickly. In fact, judging by Nastia's tone the last time we had talked, I was fairly certain it was going to be a real bitch trying to get her to find me more applicants. 

Until I was able to do that and get me someone else in her place---preferably someone old with warts and facial hair---I would find Rey another position within the company. 

One that wasn't directly under me. Even that thought sent another rush of blood to my cock, I blew out a sigh. It was all going to work out fine in the end. 

It was only for a few days. We'd get through it, and in the end, she'd still have a job. And me? I'd be a free man again. Free to walk the halls without adjusting my suit jacket in the attempt to cover my raging hard-on. Heading to my office, I noticed as each of my employees turned to nod and greet me. In my peripheral vision, I saw Rey grin at each of them, offering a little wave.

I didn't even bother to stop and introduce her. She wouldn't be here long enough to make any new friends. Instead, I slowed to a stop at her desk.

"This is you, Rey. You'll find what you need in the manual. The directions should be clear and to the point, but if you do have any questions...."

I trailed off, because quite frankly, I didn't care if she had questions. All I wanted was for her to be able to muddle through well enough to take even a little heat off me and keep me organized until someone more appropriate took her place. 

I gestured to a black binder on her desk and slipped into my office and closed the door, careful to make sure she'd taken her seat before making my way to my own desk. 

As usual, papers littered the surface, and I groaned as I opened my email to find a shit tone of new messages, each more important or serious than the last. With the merger approaching, we had to ensure that every last one of the commercial listings we were acquiring was fit to come on board with us. We needed nothing but homers here, properties we could move quickly and sell at a premium. 

Which, in addition to being a major pain in the ass in general, meant that I was hearing from lawyers and accountants on a near constant basis these days. My calendar, too, was covered with Post-it notes and crossed-out reminders in so many colors and handwritings that I couldn't be sure what was more important and what wasn't.

Sighing, I glanced at the clock, pressed the buzzer, and waited for Rey to answer. "How can I help you, Mr. Solo?"

"Coffee, please. I take it---"

"Black," she finished. "All in the manual. I'm a pretty fast reader. I'll have it for you right away."

I blinked but then released the intercom button and focused back on my messages. Within a matter of two minutes, exactly, there was a soft knock and then the door swung open, revealing Rey holding my favorite mug and walking slowly toward my desk.

"Here, we go, and---" She gasped as she set down my coffee, and then pressed a hand to her mouth, her beautiful eyes wide with dismay. She pulled her hand from her mouth and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be quite so dramatic, but....is this how your office always looks?"

She squinted at my multicolored Post-its and the sheer utter chaos on my desk. "Is there a problem?" I asked.

"It's just....how do you work like this?" She poked a faded Post-it whose words weren't even visible anymore. 

"There's a system," I said rather coolly. There really wasn't, but I wasn't about to let her walk into my office and start judging me. Who worked for who here? "I can figured it out."

"And what exactly is the system?" she asked, the doubt plain on her face.

"Like I said, I can figure it out." I shrugged. 

It hadn't always been this way. In fact, before my long-term assistant Amylin had retired, things had been in shipshape all the time. Once she'd retired, though, I just hadn't been able to find anyone to replace her, and things had devolved. Now, as I glanced all around me, really seeing it for the first time, I barely suppressed the urge to wince. 

I could clearly see that it might look a little overwhelming from the outside looking in. My gaze took in the walls with notes taped to them.

Fuck, who was I kidding? It was like _A Beautiful Mind_ was up in here. Still, something about the horror on Rey's face made me bristle, so I stood my ground on the subject. 

"Eventually, as my assistant, you'd be responsible for getting this all digitized and keeping me on track."

"Of course," she said with a nod, her gaze flitting around the space like she was already mentally tidying me up. "Well, you have a meeting in the conference room in five minutes. I've set up the projector and the computer in there, so you should be all set for the presentation."

"You did all that already?"

"Well, what else was I going to do while the coffee brewed?" She shrugged. "Do you mind if I work on your calendar a little while you're gone?"

"Knock yourself out," I said. Then I collected my papers and made my way to the meeting. 

The presentation was short and sweet---just an update on where we stood in terms of the upcoming merger and a few housekeeping notes on the properties the company had acquired in the past few months. It was all straight and to the point, and by the time my coffee was finished, it was over.

An hour later, I headed back to my office and stopped short, looking around in confusion. Had I been so distracted that I'd gone to the wrong floor or something? 

I peered around the door to find Rey there in the corner with a sticky note in hand. Okay, so, definitely my office, but it had been altered. Completely. Rather than facing the door, my desk was more focused on the one wall that wasn't glass. 

On that white wall hung four matching bulletin boards, each which looked important and organized. My desk was completely cleared, save my computer and three tin boxes marked In, Pending and Out, and the bar cart in the corner nearest the window had been replaced with a mini coffee maker. 

Rey moved near a board that been marked off into three sections. She was thumbtacking a Post-it to it when I closed the door behind me. She looked up with a small nod. "Hi, there."

"Question? What the hell did you do to my office?" I demanded, still in shock as I took one cautious step toward my desk.

"A few things, actually. First of all, studies show the workplace tenders to be happier if there is fresh air and sunlight, so I adjusted the layout of the office to maximize productivity and mood." 

I blinked at her a few times. I guess I couldn't exactly argue with that. Still, though---what the hell happened here?!

"What's all this, then?" I motioned to the boards. 

"These are your new lifelines." She made a flourishing motion like she was Vanna White. "This here---" she motioned to the board right beside her---"is your Kanban board. Are you familiar with it?"

I'd heard of it, of course, but I shook my head, just standing there, waiting for her to continue giving me the full explanation first hand. 

"So, we have three sections. Things that need to be done, things you are doing, and things that have been done. This way, your to-do list doesn't clog up your brain. Beneath it, I've made another Kanban board of things you'd like me to do, so rather than sending emails and forgetting whether you've told me things, they'll all be directly visible to both of us."

"Makes sense, I guess," I said somewhat grudgingly. "And everything else?"

"Your calendar." She moved to the next board. "That's been color-coded based on who you're meeting with. Personal matters are in black for quick reference, but I posted a key for everything else." She smiled. "You also have a digital version on your computer now that will remind you of events the day and hour before."

"And my bar cart?" I asked, I knew I was being an asshole because so far everything she said made perfect sense, but change and I were like oil and water, and I was still reeling from the unapproved total office renovation.

She'd said she wanted to move things around a little, not change everything down to the last little detail in _my_ office, jeez. What the hell was I paying her for?!

"It says in your manual that you drink at least five cups of coffee a day and hardly ever drink in the office. It makes absolutely no sense to have bar cart where there could be a hot, fresh cup of coffee at arm's length."

Even now, my mouth watered for a fresh mug, but that wasn't the point of this conversation. "But the champagne---"

"Is for the clients." She nodded. "So I've put it in the executive break room and will fetch it on per request. Which, as far as I can tell, happens like twice a month. This way, we can chill the bottles on ice before the clients arrive. I've set up a system."

"That's a bit of an understatement," I said, glancing around. "But if you've set up all this stuff for me to do myself, then what are you going to do?"

"Help you with all the other stuff you have to do," she said with a strained smile. "That's what you hired me for, after all."

"Right." I scrubbed a hand over my face and then settled into my chair. "Thank you, Rey. Will you please---"

"Lunch is already been ordered."

I shook my head. "How did you know?"

"It's all in the manual. Same time every day." She shrugged. "I had your Meals-to-Go login, so I've gotten you the usual at Sal's Deli. It should be right on schedule."

"Well, I certainly, hope that you ordered something for yourself while you were at it," I said, though in truth I felt at a loss for words.

She nodded, her tone clipped and businesslike. "Yes, you gave me a very generous allowance for lunches, and I appreciate it very much, Mr. Solo."

Without saying another word, she turned on her heel and strolled towards the door. When it clicked shut behind her, I stared after her, wondering what the hell had just happened. In the history of all my assistants, the first few days were nothing more than handholding and making sure they remembered how I liked my coffee.

Never--not once---had anyone walked in and taken control like Rey did. Nobody had ever been so thoughtful, so attentive like she had towards me. Which, of course, made my life that much harder.

After all, I couldn't exactly get rid of a perfectly good assistant when it had taken me months to find someone like her. But then, even when she'd been explaining her perfectly color-coded system to me, I'd been half imagining unbuttoning that staid little shirt of hers and getting another look at what lay beneath. A lethal combination of feelings, there was no doubt about it. 

Biting the side of my cheek, I gripped the arms of my chair, propelled myself up, and walked toward my square of neat bulletin boards. Maybe she'd missed something---some small detail that would ruin everything if I hadn't caught it myself.

That would give me plenty of reason to let her go with a clear conscience. After all, organization was good, but not at the cost of business. 

But no, I examined the calendar, the to-do-list, everything. Not a single thing had been misplaced--right down to my haircut on the eighteenth. She'd _literally_ taken care of everything. I glanced up at the ceiling and then trudged back to my desk and sat again. I had plenty to do. I had no business worrying about what I was going to do about this assistant. Still, a part of me felt like I should have known this was a bad idea from the start.

Considering how attentive and responsive she'd been on that rooftop, there shouldn't have been a doubt in my mind that she'd be the same professionally. She did everything wholeheartedly---just like me.

I growled under my breath as I opened my emails and tried to focus on the many messages but found there was nothing for me to look at. Nothing at all.

My inbox had been completely emptied. Pressing the intercom, I waited as Rey said, "How can I help you, Mr. Solo?"

"What happened to all of my emails?!" I snapped.

"They've all been coordinated to appear when you need them, I cleaned out the junk and schedule the rest. If you prefer to see them in total, just click the check to the right of your inbox. I hope that I didn't overstep--"

"You--" I closed my eyes and then opened the again. If her email system was as foolproof as she said....I clicked the checkbox, and sure enough, they all appeared. "No, you didn't. Thank you, Rey."

I released the button and glanced around the room again. She really was the world's best assistant. And the best lover I'd ever had. In fact, I'd spent my entire weekend replaying my night with her over and over in my mind and my entire Sunday night trying to convince myself that I had the will power to stop myself from jerking off while thinking about her.

Surely having her here would be total hell, especially after all that we shared together. Unless, of course, I could have the best of both worlds. 


	7. Chapter 7

"Bartender! A shot of tequila!" I shouted, both as an order to the bartender and in response to the catchy song blaring over the bar speakers.

I sipped the margarita in front of me, pushed my empty shot glass toward the edge of the bar, and then glanced around at my fellow businesspeople, all unwinding on Cinco De Mayo after a long day at work. The past week had been a blur of activity and organization, but I was definitely falling into the swing of things.

In fact, a few times, some of my officemates had stopped by my desk to offer their congratulations on my ability to "tame the dragon", so to speak. And after working with Ben all week, I could definitely see why they would say that. 

His moods were changeable to say the least. He was driven one minute and frustrating as hell the next. Sometimes he would fall into a trance so deep that I wasn't sure he didn't even hear me when I spoke.

But other times....other times, I knew he saw me. His gaze bore into me, and though I'd been careful to wear my drabbest business clothes, I was so sure she was seeing right through them.

That he could tell the way my nipples still stiffened to a straining peak whenever I set eyes on him. That he knew the way my knees weakened whenever he spoke. But more than that, I was so sure he reveled in it. A few times, he'd even called me into his office only to tell me to leave again, his question unasked. But I already knew what the question was. 

I could see it in the tick of his jaw when he looked at me or the way he breathed in my perfume whenever I was near. It had been so hard for me to leave that night on the rooftop.

To walk away and not beg him to do it all over again. But I knew, if I didn't that I'd be in deep. Too deep. He'd made it more than clear he wanted nothing more than a hook up. A one-night thing and nothing more. 

Once he'd rocked my world---twice, no less---I hadn't needed much prompting to head for the hills. If I didn't and we did _that_ again? I might have dropped to one knee and asked for his hand in marriage. Okay, not really, but still. He was addictive. I knew it from one taste. Which meant that I had to stay away for my own sanity. 

Only now there was no chance of escape, was there? The bartender set another shot in front of me, and with the memory of Ben's dark brown eyes searing into me, I downed it in one and sipped my margarita as a chaser.

Tonight was not going to be about Ben Solo. Truth be told, I already spent way too much time thinking about--and fantasizing over---him. No, tonight I was young and single in a new city and looking for someone to catch my eye. Which, luckily, they did. 

My gaze fell on a man staring me down across the bar, his red tie partially undone as he rolled the tip of his finger around his beer glass. 

He looked like a young professional, complete with the suit and slicked-back hair. The slightest bit of five o'clock shadow darkened his features, and I offered him a coy smile before turning my attention to my drink again. He was handsome. Slightly out of character, maybe, but I had just enough liquid courage in me to consider crossing the bar and introducing myself. 

As it was, though, I grabbed my phone from my pocket and did my best to squish down the fact that all I could think was how he wasn't quite as good-looking as Ben. Didn't have that same sparkle. That sexy charm that rolled off him in eaves. Not by a mile.

"Hey," rumbled a deep voice near my ear. I glanced up to find myself practically nose-to-nose with this new handsome stranger. "I'm Poe. What's your name?"

"Oh. Hi, I'm Rey. Nice to meet you."

My phone blared a loud tinkling noise, and I glanced down to see Ben Solo blinking across the screen. I held up a finger, my heart pounding in my chest. "I have to take this right quick. I'll be right back."

I rolled off my seat and scuttled quickly to the exit, pushing the door open with my hip. Stepping outside the bar, I pressed the answer key and then held my phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Rey, I need you to come into the office." Ben's tone was matter-of-fact. As if every boss called their employees at seven o'clock on a Friday night. 

"I really....can't right now, Ben," I said.

"On a date?" he asked, his tone clipped. 

"No, not that it's any of your business," I added briskly. "It's after hours, and I've had a couple of drinks if that's all right with you."

"That doesn't matter in the slightest. I don't mind, and I need you here ASAP. It won't take long. I'll see you shortly." 

The line died, and I stared down at my phone for a moment, trying to convince myself that he hadn't just ordered me around like some kind of indentured servant he'd smuggled here on a ship in the fifteen hundreds. _I shouldn't go. I shouldn't let him win._

But even as I thought over all of the reasons it was wrong to go back into work tonight, I found myself paying the bill and making excuses to Poe before I hit the sidewalk and marched the two blocks to the dark mirrored glass office tower where I worked. I knew it was stupid, but dang it, I actually liked my job. I liked the fact that Ben needed me. _What else do you like, Rey?_

I shoved the mocking voice away and willed the heat from my face. Sure, it was after hours, but I could be completely one-hundred and ten perfect professional.

I entered the building after a janitor let me in, and I made for the elevator swiftly, closing my eyes to stop the slight away of the world around me as I walked. I was one tequila shot away from hiccupping, but Ben had robbed me of that.

Or maybe he'd saved me. I wasn't quite sure, yet. Squaring my shoulders, I stepped from the elevator and made my way to his office, not bothering to knock before I opened the door and crossed my arms over my chest. 

"So what's so important that I had to come in on a Friday night?"

He looked up at me---almost as if he was surprised that I'd actually come---and then offered me half a begrudging smile. "Well...don't you look nice."

"Oh. I--" _Well....shit._

I'd forgotten that I'd loosened up a little after work, pulling my hair from it's staid bun and letting it fall around my shoulders. My button-down shirt had been unbuttoned to show the slightest hint of cleavage, and I'd changed from my usual slacks into a bright-red skirt that showed off my perfectly toned legs. 

"You sure you weren't on a date?" he asked, his laser-beam eyes looking straight through me. 

I shook my head, trying not to read anything into the question he'd just asked me. So he was a little bit nosy. No big deal. 

"I'm positive. Once more, not that it's any of your business even if I was," I added again for good measure. 

"I'm glad to hear that. Sit down." He motioned to one of the seats in front of him, and I took my place carefully, smoothing my skirt beneath me as I sat. "You've been drinking," he asked, though it wasn't a question. 

"As I already said, yes." I pointed to the glass on his lacquered desk. "Apparently, I'm not the only one either."

"No, you're right. I've had two myself." He folded his hands on his desk and regarded me with a thoughtful look. "But I want to make sure you have your wits about you."

"And what is that?" I asked.

"Because I have an important proposition that I'd like to discuss with you." His gaze seared my skin, and I crossed my legs, once again feeling like he could see straight through my thin layer of clothing.

"Go on." I asked, nerves skittering through me like lightning. 

"Before I tell you, you need to promise me that you're sober enough to listen to what I am about to offer you."

I gave him a single nod, not just because I was curious but because the second I'd laid eyes on him, I'd felt sober, though, slightly drunk on him. He had that effect on me---of draining away all other outside forces and commanding all of my attention in a way only he could. 

"Good," he said. "Now, your performance here this week has been outstanding, Rey."

"Thank you, Ben," I murmured. 

"No, thank you. I'm very impressed with your work. So much that I am not willing to lose you as an assistant, so, please do keep that in mind as you consider what I'm offering you."

I frowned slightly. "Okay."

"Now that we have gotten past all.... _that_ , here's the thing, Rey. I can't go on like this," he said simply. 

"Like what?" I asked, blinking back at him. 

"I can't continue to work side by side with you while I have a constant erection."

I drew back, both surprised and sort of turned on by his sudden forthrightness. "Oh! May I ask why?”

"Every single time that I look at you, I imagine stripping off your clothes and fucking you right here on my desk. And now that I see you in that tiny red skirt....you have absolutely no idea how much I wanted to cross his desk and spread your legs so I can lick the space between your thighs."

I swallowed hard. "Mr. Solo--"

"Ben," he corrected. "Ever since the first time I had you, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, and I have to think there's a reason you're here now. I'm not interested in relationships, Rey. I don't have the time or the inclination. But I want you more than any other woman I've ever had. And the way your body fits with mine?" He shook his head. "It's no mere accident you're here, that's all I know."

"So what are you trying to say here, Ben?" I pressed, struggling to breathe as I imagined him sinking down to his knees in front of me, pushing my legs apart, and having his wicked way with me.

Teasing my already aching bud again the way he did that night on the rooftop. Tasting him the way he'd tasted me. _God, just let me have that, Ben. Please...._

"I'm trying to say that I want you. I want you as my assistant, and I want you in my bed as well."

"I'm afraid that's not possible." I shook my head, trying to fight back the primal urges willing me to straddle him right then and there. To forget about what was smart and do what my body was begging for me to do. "I--I don't think that's smart."

"And why not? I don't see why we can't keep it professional during the day, and be able to enjoy ourselves at night. I've really put a lot of thought into this, Rey, and I know we can handle it, if you're willing to try."

"We'll be caught," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

If only he knew how willing I really was. But God, would this be stupid. Beyond stupid. Foolhardy. Reckless. Not to mention, I wanted to be seen as something more as someone's notch in their bedpost. I know, I know, I'd slept with him once already, but that was the point---it was a one night stand. Now here he was trying to complicate that by seeing me....again. 

"By whom? I'm the boss here." He shrugged. "I don't have shareholders to answer to, I don't have to answer to anyone unless I feel like it, I don't have appearances to keep up for. All I need to do is follow my own instincts, and all my instincts are telling me this is something I can't ignore. I've spent all day thinking about you, even though you've been wearing those awful clothes to hide yourself from me. Tell me the truth, you've been thinking about me too."

"Ben---I just don’t think this is wise, really it’s not—“ I tried to protest, but he held up a hand silencing me.

"You _want_ this. You _want_ me, you can't deny it. I can see it written all over your face, Rey."

I let out a shallow breath, nodding despite my better judgement. Because, really, there was no denying it. I was sure he knew, he could feel ever time I'd come into his office and imagined him splaying myself out in front of him.

Every time I'd envisioned bending over the desk in front of me and staring out at the city skyline while he pushed into me over and over until I broke apart at his touch. 

"See? So we're in agreement. We'll be casual sexual partners during non-work hours, and you will retain your position as my assistant during the day."

"Ben, we can't," I tried again, straining to hear the voice of dissent that was growing weaker and weaker in my mind. "What happens when one of us gets tired of the other?"

What I really meant to say was, _what happens when you get tired of me?_ Because I couldn't ever imagine ever getting tired of him....not ever and that hurt more than just being another notch in his bed-post. I had felt what had transpired between us that night on the rooftop and I could see what could be.

I could see him...me...us. Sleeping with him had been a horrific idea, now I was the one feeling the wear and tear. If he only wanted a one-night stand then damn it, he should at least keep it at that. 

Now, I instantly regret not getting that Steve’s guys number at the bar—at least I’m sure with some bit of luck, that might’ve actually turned into something prosperous. 

"Nothing. I think we're both smart and mature enough to look at what happened fondly and continue working together professionally. You're an amazing assistant. Nothing has to change there. Bit this thing between us? It needs to run its course. It's meant to be, Rey. Do you need me to prove that to you?"

He stood, his height dwarfing even the dark skyline behind him. I shivered. "I don't know. I can't just choose right here and now, Ben."

"Then let me give you something to help you weigh our your options."

I really should have stood up right then and there. I should have gotten up and marched right out the door without a second thought. But instead, I uncrossed me legs and stood, waiting as he circled the corner of his desk and crowded me until all I could feel was him---the smell of him, the sear heat of him, his overwhelming presence.

He was everything. And I could nothing....absolutely nothing in my power to deny him. 


	8. Chapter 8

As I stepped toward her, my pulse hammered in my wrists and my shaft ached with the memory of the last time we were together--just like it did every time I was around her. I approached, the familiar scent of her lavender and vanilla shampoo filling the air, my nostrils, my very lungs, and it was all I could do not to tell her to get down on her knees in front of me right then and there.

But no, right now I had to convince her that we were lovers. It was my one and only mission. And I never failed at a job. Rey Kenobi was mine.... _all_ mine. 

Slowly, I pushed an errant strand of silken hair behind her ear and twisted it around my finger. "Don't you remember how good it was before, Rey?" I asked, my voice deep and low. "When I sank between your thighs and licked you clean?"

She swallowed hard, and I cupped her cheek, stroking the pad of my thumb against her jaw. I loved that she still shuddered under my touch---it made the painful ache in my lower groin sear with pleasure. 

"You tasted so good, you know that? Every time I see you, I think of that night. How good you tasted. My tongue on your pretty pink clit."

She shivered, and my hand dropped lower, tracing the column of her throat and then the hollow of her collarbone. I needed her like I needed air to breathe my next breath. I wasn't about to let her go--- _not_ this time, not ever.

"And then, when I'm thinking about you? I think about how good it would be to taste the rest of you? To kiss my way down your neck..." I trailed my thumb up and down her throat again. "....and your breasts..." I rested my palm just above the swell of her chest. "And your perfect little nipples."

She shivered yet again, her pupils dilating as she met my gaze. Her breath was coming in faster pants now, and I knew I had her under my spell just as much as I was under hers.

"Do you know what I thought about when I first saw you in this tiny red skirt?" She shook her head, eyes wide, her gaze still trained on mine. "I thought about how nice it would be to undress you until you weren't wearing anything but this skirt. And then you know what I'd do next?"

She swallowed before shaking her head again, so innocent, so pure....and she was mine. The lion in my chest purred with contempt, with excitement at the prospect of what was yet to come. I would give her so much pleasure that no other guy would dare try to stake a claim on her ever again.

"I'd grip the hem." And I did exactly that, and she made no move to stop me, which only made my heart pound harder and blood run hotter. "And I'd hike it all the way up to your waist so that I could see all of you. You know what I'd do next?"

She took a shallow, deep breath, her warm exhale fanning against my chest. "N-No," she answered, trembling.

"I'd bend you over my desk and use your skirt to pull you into me while I slide my cock into you. Long and deep, over and over, and over again."

I then released the hem of the skirt and then made my way to the collar of her shirt, fingering the first button with a light caress. "So tell me, Rey. What do you want?"

"I want you to undress me, and I want to undress you....this _time_ ," she said without even missing a beat. 

Excellent. It wasn't an answer to my earlier proposal, but at least it was something. I'd get to be inside her one more time. It wasn't ideal that I'd let anyone just undress me, to me, that added intimacy far beyond what I was capable of---but for her---I'd almost do anything as long as I could have her again.

"That can easily be arranged," I unfastened the top button on her shirt and then worked the rest deftly until the two sides slid apart to reveal a pretty purple bra with little lace detailing.

When I was finished, she shrugged from the shirt and reached for mine, making quick work of my tie before unfastening the buttons with enviable speed. Forcefully grabbing the hem of skirt, I hiked it up exactly as I'd promised and glimpsed the scrap of matching purple panties beneath.

At the very sight of them, I wanted to sink down to my knees and drag them down with my teeth, but Rey distracted me as she reached for my belt and unfastened it quickly before pulling down my fly and dropped to the floor as she lowered my pants. Carefully, I stepped from my slacks and gripped the edge of the desk on either side of me as she guided me back, her knees spread apart ever so lightly as she settled onto the ground just as I'd imagined so many times. 

My throbbing length bucked and jerked in anticipation of those soft fingers....that molten mouth. With one delicate hand, she gripped the elastic of my boxers and pulled them down, allowing my member to jut out in front of her.

"When you think of me, do you touch yourself?" she asked, her voice breathy, needy, and even now, a bit shy.

I nodded and then gripped the base of my shaft to demonstrate. Instead, though, she pushed my hand aside and replaced it with her own, working me up and down as she stared up at me, teasing me with her tantalizing plump lips so near. 

"Do you think of my when you touch yourself?" I asked her, the question alone making me ache with another swell of longing.

At first, I didn't think she was going to answer. But then she looked me dead in the eyes and nodded, wetting her lips. "Yes.....all the time."

She gripped me harder, working me slightly faster before leaning in closer and licking my head with one long, beautiful stroke of that tongue of hers.

Looking up at me all the while, she closed her mouth over me, bobbing up and down as she slowly worked the rest of me with her hand, and I let out a little groan as the tip of her tongue stroked me up and down in time with her movements.

"FUCK," I ground out, and I felt her smile around me as she let out a little moan of approval.

The vibration of her voice sizzled through me, rocking me to my core. I fisted her hair, letting her control the movements, fighting the desire to rush it. To plunge forward and feel the tender flesh at the back of her throat. She must have sensed my need, because she increased the suction, her cheeks going concave as she drew on my stiff cock, sucking harder, deeper, until I knew I couldn't take another moment.

If I had my way, we'd be able to take it slow the next time or the next after that. Right now, I was like a wild man, desperate to be inside of her. 

Gripping her hair in my hand, I guided her back until she released me. "That's enough for now. Now, it's my turn."

Taking her shoulders in both hands, I pulled her back to standing and then gripped her panties and broke the delicate string with a _snap._ The scrap of fabric tumbled to the floor, and she looked down at it for a moment before her hungry gaze found mine again. 

"Those are mine now," I said. 

She gave me another wide-eyed stare and a nod, and I bent over to pull a condom from my pocket before rolling it over my waiting shaft. Eyes locked on mine, she slid onto the desk, spread her legs apart to show me every inch of her pretty pink center. 

"Are you coming or not?"

It took all my effort not to drop down in front of her and lick the space long and deep until she came, but I knew I couldn't wait that long. I had to have her---and soon.

"No," I growled and then pulled her from the surface of the desk and flipped her around her wrenching her skirt back up to her waist. "You've had your fun. Now we do things my way."

"And what if I want to do things my way?"

"And then you'll just have to come back for more, I guess." Her bare ass was round and smooth, and I squeeze my eyes closed because suddenly it was all too much. "You ready for me?" I asked, my throat so tight with need that I could barely squeeze the words out.

She nodded, and I gripped myself hard before pushing into her wet, waiting heat. God, how I'd fantasized about this moment---having her here, bent over my desk with the whole city in front of us. 

I could see the my reflection in the wide glass window, standing over her, entering her slow and steady. But all my fantasies and reflections couldn't compare to the actual feed of her. She was soft and pliable in my hands, leaning into me as I slid deep and then deeper until I was buried to the hilt. 

Gripping her skirt with one hand, I pulled her still deeper, and she let out a little satisfied moan. _That's i_ t, I thought to myself, _that's my girl---feel it---feel me---all of me._

"Say you my name, Rey," I murmured.

"B-Ben," she moaned, arching back against me. 

My shaft hardened to the point of pain, and she used her inner muscles to squeeze me even tighter, encouraging me to ride her faster. But I couldn't. The second I lost my self-control, I would be bucking into her so hard and fast that everything would skitter from my des and she'd be gripping the mahogany edges for dear life.

We'd be done before we even started. No, I had to take my time, working her body nice and slow before I took everything she had to offer.

So, with a firm grip on her skirt, I took my other hand and smacked the tender curve of her ass, loving the little yelp she let out as much as the moan of pleasure when I soothed her, kneading the skin gently with my palm.

"Do you like it, Rey?" I asked.

 _Smack._ "Mmm-hmm," she murmured, arching her back into my hand as I massaged the space again. 

With every playful blow, her channel tightened still more around me, but I held back, no matter how hard it was to continue my slow, steady rhythm. _Smack._ I rubbed her reddening skin, and whimpered her approval. 

"Please, Ben, I want everything," she said. "I'm so close. Just please, fuck me." 

Her words pushed me over the edge, and my balls went tight as hot liquid snaked up my shaft. Gripping her hips tight, I pulled back and plunged forward. Instantly, her walls quaked around me, and she clutched the edge of the desk as her body writhed with pleasure. And then, when her voice broke into a chorus of whimpers, it was all over for her. Gripping her skirt with both hands, I trust into her harder and faster, ignoring the sharp squeaks of the desk as I took her in the deep, dirty way I'd been imaging all week. 

"Yes, Ben," she cried, and I gripped her hair in one hand, pulling gently as she gasped and slapped the surface of the desk.

Looking at reflection, I could see the pure ecstasy in her eyes as I pushed deep with every thrust until my cup of pens skittered to the floor and she knocked my papers down along with them.

"Yes, lose control for me again, baby," I ground out, and she did, squeezing me so tightly that stars shot in front of my eyes while my balls drew up and the coil of tension low in my stomach expanded and, at last, collapsed, shooting waves of pleasure through my body with so much force that I let out a low groan as I pushed into her again and again.

And then it was over and I was shooting into her hand and fast, cursing the damn condom that separated me from her. 

It was so good, so hot, so intense that I knew this wouldn't---that this _couldn't-_ \--be the very last time. I'd make sure that it wouldn't be the last time I'd ever have her. Rey Kenobi was mine, she just didn't know it yet. 


	9. Chapter 9

I would never look at the mahogany wood the same way again. Even now, walking home from the office, my cheeks burned with the memory of how Ben bent me over the desk and laid into me. Swallowing hard, I straightened my skirt, irrationally sure that everyone who passed me on the street would be able to smell the sex on me.

The would somehow know exactly what--and who---I'd done. And if they could? They would know, like I knew, that I was the biggest idiot who'd ever lived.

I shouldn't want nor should I be with a man who only sees me as a casual lover when it's convenient for him. I knew I deserved better than that---any woman in my situation would. I fumbled for my keys as I reached my apartment complex and then made my way inside and ignored the unsteady click of my shoes on the linoleum floors as I headed toward the elevators. 

What had I been thinking? Of course my natural inclination might have been to blame my alcohol-addled mind, but that was no use. 

The second I'd heard Ben's voice on that phone, I'd been stone-cold sober. And when I'd heard what he had to say....I reached my door and made quick work of the lock before making a beeline for my bed. I needed to lie down, to sleep away what I'd done and forget that it ever happened in the first place.

Who knew? Maybe when I woke up tomorrow, all of this was just some really bad dream. Except, of course, it wasn't bad. It would have been better---ideal, even--if it had been bad. 

Instead, it was perfect. Ben had worked my body like a fine-tuned machine, and again I was left with another memory to haunt me as I tried to work side by side with him. How would I be able to look at his hands without remembering the way he'd held my hips, hard and commanding?

Without the scaring memory of his hips slapping against my ass, mingling the pain with my pleasure and heightening both in the process. I couldn't. Just like I couldn't look at his lips without remembering the way they burned against my mouth, the way his tongue stroked mine and coaxed out every begging moan in my body. 

Another ache rose between my thighs, and I squeezed them together, fighting the urge to call him and ask for round two---or was it three now? No matter the number, it couldn't happen again, no matter what kind of promises me made towards me. 

When things like that happened in an office, it was only an amount of time before others in the office found out about it, too. I wasn't willing to be the gossip around the water cooler, not for him and not for anyone. 

My dignity or what was left of it was simply too important to me. Breathing deep, I closed my eyes, grabbed a pillow, and shoved it over my face. 

I couldn't undo what had been done. I couldn't go back and force myself not to be swept away by his filthy, tantalizing promises. But I could promise myself that it wouldn't ever happen again.

And that was exactly what I was going to do. On Monday, I was going to march straight into his office and own up to the mistake that I'd made. I'd tell him I was sorry if he thought I'd led him on by sleeping with him, but it had been a moment of weakness of my behalf. I'd tell him what happened had meant absolutely nothing to me. Which, it did, of course. It had meant nothing to me. Nothing at all. 

And if he fired me? Well, I'd faced the challenge of joblessness before, hadn't I? And if he didn't....I'd find a way to live with the memory of his warm, muscled body pressing into mine and spurring me toward release.

I shoved the pillow harder against my face and debated screaming into it, but before I got the chance, the muffled sounds of something jangly and bright sounded from the floor beside me.

My phone. Maybe it was Ben, calling to tell me he didn't want to go through with his proposition. That he'd thought it through, and now that he'd had me again, he had finally decided against it. Lord knows I hadn't given him a chance to say much when I'd run out of the office like it was on fire after we'd made love. 

I snatched my purse from the floor, dug out my phone, and pressed it to my ear, not bothering to check the ID before answering. "Hello?" I answered, realizing with a wince that my voice was breathy and anything but casual. 

"Hey, are you okay? You sound like I caught you in the middle of....something." There was a note of amusement in Kaydel's voice, and I shook my head before realizing she obviously couldn't see me. 

"Um, no, no, I'm fine. What's up?"

"Not a whole lot. Just calling to see how work has been this past week for you? I've barely even heard from you."

"Oh, right, yeah. It's fine." 

"Fine? That's it? You're the only person that I know who can talk about their job for more than five minutes without wanting to hang themselves. Do you hate it or something?"

"No, no." I chewed on the inside of my cheek, but when I didn't say anything else, Kaydel pressed on.

"You also didn't tell me how your date went either, you know. I'm starting to think that you're cutting me out of your life."

"No, uh, it was fine."

"Just fine again, huh?" Kaydel accused. "All right, Rey, what gives? Why are you being so short with me? I thought we were closer than that."

"Nothing. What's with the third degree?"

"I know you better than this, that's all. I'm not buying the act, Rey. I don't know who you are, but my sister would be shouting at me from here to high heaven about setting her up on a date instead of a casual friend meetup like she asked." 

A note of anger flared in my chest at the memory. "I never said I was happy about what you did, but if I yelled at you for every time that you didn't listen to me, I would have shouted myself hoarse a long time ago!" 

"Ah, that sounds a little more familiar," she said with a snort. "Now spill the beans. What's going on that you aren't telling me?"

I could have--and probably should have--lied. She never would have known the truth. But still, I couldn't bring myself to do it. "Just know that things at work are a little more complicated that I'd planned."

"For you?" Kaydel practically choked. "Between all your organizational systems? What could possibly be getting in the way?"

"That date you set me up on, actually," I replied waspishly. 

"What, did he send something to you at work or something?" she asked, sounding perplexed but interested nonetheless. 

"No, uh...he's my new boss." I tried to play it off as chill as possible, but there was a long pause on the line, and then Kaydel spoke again, slowly and carefully. 

"Well, that shouldn't be such a big deal either. You went on one date with the guy. I don't see what's---"

"I slept with, Kaydel." I forced the words out, and then, weighing my options, I added, "Plus, I just slept with him again about ten minutes ago back at the office."

"Oh. Em. Gee! Finally! I've been waiting for this day to come," she squealed with glee. "Pop the champagne; you actually broke a rule!"

"Not technically. He's the one who makes the rules, and he said..." I shook my head, trying to think of what he'd said that I was willing to repeat aloud. "He said since he's the boss, it wouldn't be such a bad thing for us to be casual lovers."

 _"Casual lovers?"_ Kaydel repeated. There was no disguising the excitement in her voice now. I hung my head, waiting for her to settle down before I continued. "So, let me get this straight, he doesn't want to date you; he just wants to screw your brains out," she added matter-of-factly. 

I winced. "He didn't exactly put it that way, but that was the general idea, yes."

"Well, what did you say?" Kaydel pressed. 

"I said no."

"Except you also slept with him, so....it's sort of still up in the air, isn't it?"

"You don't understand, Kaydel. The way the guy looks at me...I can't even form the words. My heart starts going, and then before, I know it he's pulling off my clothes and--" I stopped short, catching myself. 

"And what!" Kaydel squeaked. 

"Maybe you're the one who needs a boyfriend, not me. I'm not telling the sordid details off my affair with my new boss."

"Be as it may, it looks like you have a hefty choice to make here."

"And I've already made it. He's not going to fire me if I say no. We'll just have to find a way to work together."

"So the sex was as bad as you thought it would be?" Kaydel asked. 

"No, the sex was..." I shook my head. "The sex was none of your business, Kaydel."

"I'm just trying to understand your situation here."

"He's my boss. What else is there to understand here?"

"Well, if you're not the girl getting the chocolate and the flowers, you're going to be the one sending them, right?"

I paused at this question. "What do you mean?"

"Guys like that don't pine. He's not going to sit around waiting for you. High-powered businessmen are going to get whatever they want, and if he's not going to get it from you, he's going to get it somewhere else. So tell me, are you going to be okay as the woman scheduling his dates with another woman?"

"Yeah, I..." I started, but I couldn't say it. 

In my mind, I couldn't myself the sex had been exactly that---a frantic, urgent need we'd both raced to satisfy. But in truth? Knowing another woman would feel the callouses on his hands and hear the filthy things he said....the words that should have been direct at me?

"But what if people find out about us and talk about us around the office?" 

"The most important man who has a beautiful secretary at his beckoned call? Wake up here, kid, they're going to talk about you regardless of what you do," Kaydel said.

"What if...what if I start to care about him, though? He's not the kind of guy who's going to stick around if I end up catching feelings for him. I could be setting myself up for a major heartbreak here."

"Every time you get involved with someone, Rey, you're getting yourself up for heartbreak. So tell me, isn't walking away now still going to set yourself up for disappointment? You'll feel better about this if you end things now." she asked flatly.

Her words rang loud in my ears, and I let out a deep breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "I guess I have a lot to think about, don't I" I said. 

"Yeah, it sounds like it. But you do have the benefit of knowing that you can handle anything, and of course you know that I'll always be here for you."

"Thanks, Kaydel." We said goodbye shortly after that, though I couldn't remember whatever else we talked about. Instead, my brain was reeling with scenarios of what I might do on Monday when I walked into the office.

Ben would want his answer, and I'd need to have one for him. Still, even after everything, it felt like I was sliding down the track to disaster. On one hand, I ordered flowers for other woman and lived a life without even knowing Ben's touch again.

On the other hand, I had Ben, with no guarantee that his decisive, dark eyes wouldn't burn a deep, unhealable hole in my heart. But then, I'd come to the city to start life over.

To try, fresh, new things. Taking a chance on the city's most devious playboy....what would be more exciting? _Or more painful....._


	10. Chapter 10

It was just too damn early, even for my standards. As I walked through the dark hall toward my office, the automatic lights flickered to life. I rubbed my eyes, stifling the yawn I'd been holding since I woke up that morning. I'd slept like shit, just like I had on Friday and Saturday, and if I didn't get of cup of coffee soon, I was sure I'd collapsed right here on the drab beige carpet.

Stepping into my office, I made quick work of setting up my one-cup coffee maker and booting up my laptop. Through my windows, the lavender-salmon dawn was starting to light the spring sky, and a deep tinge of red through the clouds like blood. 

But then, ever since Friday night, it felt like I saw the same shade of red everywhere I went. It was on my dishes and in street signs. The color of stoplights and even my car.

All of it matched the damn tiny skirt Rey had been wearing on Friday night---the skirt I'd yanked up to her waist and used as an anchor as I thrust into her over and over again. My groin throbbed at the memory, and I took another step my brewer, where I grabbed my mug and took another long sip. 

Every time, I'd closed my eyes all weekend long, I'd been assaulted by the memory of what Rey and I had done--the way her pliable little body had submitted to my will. 

A few times, I'd even been tempted to call her and demand an answer to my proposition. But I couldn't, and wouldn't, show that kind of weakness. The truth was she was going to give me one or two answers---either she would agree to casually screw me on the side or she wouldn't. Her choice ought to have made no difference to me. After all, it wasn't like there was a shortage of woman who wouldn't jump at that arrangement.

But fuck, it just did. It mattered to me---immensely. Still, that didn't change the fact that when I tried to close my eyes at night, it was with the mental image of Rey climbing on top of me and riding me hard and rough while her breasts bounced and her wild hair fell loose around her shoulders.

Pushing the thought away, I took another sip of my coffee, settled at my computer, and tried to focus on work. The merger was getting closer every day, and God only knew I had plenty to do before then. Everyone else in the office building would start pouring in, in an hour or so, and it would help to get a head start on things before the administrative meeting that was to take place first thing this morning.

I glanced at the variety of boards Rey had laid out for me and then opened my email and scanned for her name. Nothing. I checked my phone, but there were no new messages. Not one. At least it would make it easier for me to concentrate. 

I opened the first email and scanned it quickly, but before I could tap to reply, I glanced at the corner of my desk and stopped. The picture frame that normally sat there was gone. 

I blinked, wondering what might have happened, but then, in another flash, I remembered the clatter of it falling to the ground as Rey had gripped the end of the desk, her body bumping against the lacquered top. It would be on the floor.

Wheeling over, I bent to pick it up and set it right, and then shook my head and tried to focus again on the message opened in front of me. In the corner of my eye, I could see a few people already starting to shuffle in as more lights flickered into existence.

I swallowed hard. Okay, back to work. A notification popped up in the corner of my monitor, and I clicked on it to find a reminder about the administrative meeting. 

Rey had linked her calendar with my own, and I could see that she would be there as well. The rest of her day, like mine, was busy, and I spotted a small window of time between the administrative meeting and her lunch break that looked tantalizingly free. Clicking on the empty space, I typed instructions to her to meet me in the lounge of the hotel around the corner.

It was presumptuous, I knew that, and it was more than enough for her to sue me for sexual harassment if things didn't go my way.....

But damn if I could focus on that when every time I looked at my own desk, it was with the memory of her breasts pressed against the counter as I worked her from behind. No, when it came to Rey, I had to take risks, and today I was going to take the biggest one of them all. 

I snatched up my laptop, made my way to conference room, and waited until one by one, the other assistants from around the office building filed in. Each of them glanced at me curiously as they entered with their coffee and tea, but other than the odd good morning, none of them bothered to question me. Not that I could blame them for their wondering expressions.

In all the years since I'd opened the branch of the company, I'd never once bothered to show up to these meetings. But today was different--for more reasons than one.

Nastia, my HR nemesis, entered the room and offered me a warm smile for once, probably because I hadn't fired my new assistant yet. But as she greeted me, my peripheral vision snagged on the one person I'd been waiting to see.

Rey was walking into the room, her shoulders hitched high around her ears as she fidgeted with the papers in her arms. Today she was wearing one of her usual staid outfits--a white button-down shirt with a sensible olive skirt---and her wild hair was pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. 

It didn't bode well for what I was hoping she had to tell me, but after I extended a cheerful "good morning" to Rose from Human Resources, I opened my computer and got down to business.

With the clearing of her throat, Rose started the meeting, and I listened quietly and intently until someone from the finance department got up and launched into a diatribe at the end of the table. The, opening the messenger on my computer, I typed out:

_B. Solo: Good morning_

For a long moment there was no answer, and then three little dots appeared, letting me know someone had seen my message and was responding to it. I glanced over at her from the corner of my eye, studying as she typed and deleted and then typed and deleted again before finally sending: 

_R. Kenobi: Good morning._

_B. Solo: Are these meetings always so boring and dull?_

_R. Kenobi: Wouldn't you have to actually be paying attention to know if they were boring?_

I smirked at her response, loving this cheekiness playfulness she was putting on display, just for me. I hoped to perhaps drag it out of her even more.

_B. Solo: You have a good point._

_R. Kenobi. What are you even doing here?_

_B. Solo: It was on my calendar. You ought to check yours, by the by or do I need to set you up a memo?_

_R. Kenobi: I saw it._

I blinked at my screen and then glanced over to see her adjusting her screen nervously. The girl from finance sat down, and when Rose began to speak again, I dived back into my mission.

_B. Solo: And what do you think?_

_R. Kenobi: People can see my computer screen, you know?_

_B. Solo: And seeing what I have to say to you would be the most exciting thing that's happened to any of them all week, I'm sure._

_R. Kenobi: Are you always so cocky during meetings?_

_B. Solo: Yes, I am. Are you always going to avoid answering my questions?_

I glanced over again and caught sight of a pretty pink blush spreading over her cheeks. I had embarrassed her---unintentionally, of course, but it made me excited to see that she was flushed by my words. 

_R. Kenobi: Ben, this isn't really the time or the place to be having this conversation._

_B. Solo: I like that blush. It really reminds me of the way you look after I've just finished fucking you on the edge of my desk---does it bring up any reminders for you?_

I shot a surreptitious glance her way and nearly grinned as she fumbled frantically at her keyboard. _R. Kenobi has signed off._ I cleared my throat to choke back my chuckle, and Rose looked over at me, startled.

"Mr. Solo?" she asked.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if I might borrow my assistant for a moment? Something very important has just come up." 

"Always," Rose nodded, and I gave Rey a significant look as I rose from my seat.

"You're sure this can't wait until the meeting is over?" Rey asked pointedly, but I gave her a single shake of the head. "I hate to waste everyone's time." 

"No, I'm afraid it can't."

Without so much as another glance in her direction, I stepped from the room and led the way to my office, holding my door open and motioning for her to step inside. When she followed, I clicked the door closed behind us and drew the blinds to ensure nobody would be to see what happened next---and I had a few ideas of how I was hoping it might go.

"And just what do you think you're doing?!" she demanded.

"I think I've made myself clear," I shot back, already feeling better just being close to her than I had all weekend. "You had the weekend to decide, and now I want an answer from you."

"So you just decided to crash my meeting?" She took her head. "You're incredible, Mr. Solo."

"But you like it. So, tell me, what's it going to be, Rey?"

"I really should say no." She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. 

"Yes, you should, which means that you don't want to."

She was silent for a long moment, her gaze trained on the floor, but then she met my eyes again. "Look, Ben, I'm not going to deny there's something here. Some....chemistry or something."

"Well, that's a good start," I shrugged.

"And I enjoy being with you in a physical way." Her pink cheeks burned brightly, but rather than commenting, I smiled at her, encouraging her continue. "So, I'm interested in continuing our....arrangement. On one condition."

"And what's that?" I asked, a fresh wave of triumph sweeping over me.

"I want to be monogamous in all this."

"You what?" I blinked.

In all the affairs I'd had, of course women had asked me this before, but I had always out-and-out refused them. For a man like me--with so many business trips and so little time for enjoyment--I'd never like the idea of limiting my options. And I shouldn't be allowed to---we weren't even dating, or seeing each other in a romantic sense. 

"You heard me, Solo. While we're in our arrangement, I don't want you sleeping with other women." Her chest heaved, and her lively eyes were snapping fire.

"Look. if this is about safety, I always wear a condom. I don't see what the problem here is. We had a good time, and--"

"I don't want to be screwing you and then sending flowers to other women on your behalf. It's awkward and quite frankly, a little weird," she shot back.

"I thought that we agreed on this being a casual thing," I cautioned. 

"Yes, we did." She nodded. "But I want to only be with each other. The same thing would go for me, of course."

"And if I say no?" I challenged.

"Then the whole deal is completely off. I'll see other people. You'll see other people and there won't even be such a thing as "casual" lovers as you put it so lightly."

"What's this all about, Rey?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"No offense, because I'm sure you don't hear this very often, I don't really feel like just being another notch in your bedpost, Solo. I'm a person, I have feelings whether you choose to acknowledge them or not and I'm not going to set myself up for something that it's not going to be beneficial for the both of us in the end." 

I considered this. The very idea of watching her come and go in front of my desk, some random man picking her up and taking her out to the movies, on surprise dates, luxurious long vacations. Some other man inside her....

I _fucking_ hated that idea, and I was not going to let it happen. Not on my watch, anyways. I already said that she was mine before and I meant it.....

"What if you were monogamous and---"

She cut me off with a laugh. "Ha! Nope, it doesn't work that way, Solo. Both of us agree to this or nothing."

I clenched my fist but gave her a solemn single nod. "Fine, then. We have a deal. But if you check your calendar, I think you'll also find that we both have an appointment to keep, and I'm the type of man who doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"Very well," she said giving me simple nod before turning on her heel. However, just as she reached for the doorknob, she turned back to face me. "Who knows, Solo, you might just fall in love with me before this is all over."

"Doubt it," I replied, cheekily. 

It was completely out of character for me. Totally nuts, whatever this thing we were doing was. But fuck, I couldn't wait to start and as to the falling in love with her part---as much as I didn't want to admit it aloud---I was in so deep that the idea of not falling in love with her before this was all over sounded so absurd. 


	11. Chapter 11

"You don't think someone will notice us leaving together?" I asked hesitantly. 

Of course, I knew by now that not only had this thought never occurred to him, but even if it had, it wouldn't have made the slightest difference in his plans. Around here, he had rule of the roost, and if he wanted to sleep with his assistant, there was nothing anyone or anything could do to stop him. 

I, on the other hand, didn't exactly feel like walking past the herds of whispering secretaries every day on my lunch break, and I certainly didn't need anyone thinking I kept my job because I was sleeping with the boss. 

Maybe he was the ruler of everything around here, but when it came to this little arrangement of ours? He was going to play by my rules. 

As I stared at his Greek face, I found myself wavering. Okay, so I was going to _try_ to get him to play by my rules. "And if they do? So what?" he asked, his eyebrows raised. 

"Look, you said we weren't going to do this on business time."

"And we're not. Your lunch hour is yours to do with as you please. Unless, of course, you'd rather not." His luscious mouth tipped up in a mocking grin. 

He knew my answer as well as I did. I wanted to go. I wanted _him._ Even if it was the worst idea in the entire world. And now, with his mahogany desk between us serving as a vivid reminder of all the ways he could work my body into throes of ecstasy....

"Fine," I found myself saying, despite my reservations. "I'll leave for my lunch break," I said, lowering my voice. "In ten minutes, you can leave too and then meet me in the bar at the hotel."

"Are you always going to be so clandestine about all of this?" he teased. "Should I start calling you by another name when I see you too??"

Ignoring that, I said, "I'll see you there." 

Then, turning on my heel, I made for his door, but not before he added. "When I see you there, you'd better not be wearing any panties under that skirt of yours."

An ache of need rose between my thighs and I gave him a brief nod before striding past my desk and practically sprinting into the elevator. Suddenly I felt like a runner racing towards the finish line, and as people shuffled in and out of the elevator around me, I barely noticed them. All I could think about was how I was going to find the the nearest bathroom to slide off my tiny black thong...and what he was going to do when he found out I'd followed his instructions. 

In a flash of memory, I thought of the way he'd used my skirt as an anchor, pulling himself deeper and deeper into me. Maybe he'd do that again? But no, Ben didn't seem like the sort of man who followed a routine.

So far, he'd blown my mind on so many levels, my head was practically spinning. The elevator dinged, and I realized that I'd finally reached the ground level of the office building. Trying to act natural, I square my shoulders and rushed toward the revolving glass doors, my heels clicking on the marble floor.

Logically, I knew that nobody else knew what was happening between me and Ben--that nobody would even blink an eye when they saw Ben down here ten minutes from now---but somehow it all still felt illicit. 

Like their eyes followed me and my every move, know what I was about to do. But even with the weight of all those imaginary eyes on me, I couldn't bring myself to feel ashamed or embarrassed by it. Instead, I felt...well, sexy. Empowered.

I held my head a little higher, imagining Ben as he walked across the hotel lobby towards me, that hunger blazing in his eyes. All for me. 

It was crazy. Nuts, really. Completely out of character, yet somehow it felt so right. Luckily, the walk to the hotel was a short one---it was just around the corner, so close that it was likely a happy hour favorite for the people who worked in the business district. As I walked into the lobby, though, it was clear that it wasn't a favorite lunch spot.

The hotel bar was nearly empty save a few older gentlemen sipping amber liquid from highball glasses on the edge of the bar. Briefly I debated heading over but instead settled into a booth in the far corner of the room. 

Ben wasn't even here yet, but my heart was already racing. At this rate, I was going to drop dead of anticipation before he even walked in. I was just about the head to the ladies' room to take off my underwear and pat my hot cheeks with cool water when, too soon, I spotted him. He was striding over towards me, his hands tucked lazily in his pockets, his dark hair falling slightly over his eyes.

I stared at him, shaking my head in rueful disbelief. He hadn't waited the ten whole minutes. In fact, it seemed like he hadn't even waited two.

But then, how could I have expected him to do something that was completely and totally his ideas? I really should've been irritated. Instead, another sizzle shot clean through me. He was a man who marched to his own beat. Did whatever he wanted and took charge.

The feminist in me should be totally turned off, but instead, my knees started to shake with pure excitement. This guy was turning me into some sort of sexual deviant, and I had to admit, I kind of liked it. 

Wordlessly, he slid into the booth beside me and then dropped one warm palm on my naked knee, searing me with the heat of his skin. The waiter approached, and Ben ordered for us--two glasses of Cabernet. He waited until the other man's back was turned before learning in close to me.

"Did you follow my instructions?" he asked, though before I could even reply, his fingers were snaking up the side of my thigh, gently spreading my legs apart until he felt the rough lace of my thong. "Oh, Rey," he murmured, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

"Well you didn't exactly give me the time," I hissed. "What happened to waiting ten minutes?"

"I wanted to, but then I saw your as in that skirt while you were getting on the elevator and...well, a man has his needs." He offered me his wolf's grin, and I narrowed my eyes.

"Well, now you have to pay the price. I'm still wearing my panties, and you're just going to have to live with it."

He looked about ready to answer, but then the waiter reappeared with out beverages. "Thanks so much. And we're only here for the one, so we'll take the check too" Ben said with a smile.

The waiter disappeared, and so did Ben's smile. His heated gaze locked on to my mouth, and I could feel my nipples tighten beneath my blouse. Why did he have this effect on me? Why him--no other man had ever made me feel this way.

"Now, where were we?" he asked silkily. "Ah, I remember now. We were talking about punishment."

"Exactly," I said, pausing to gulp down a swallow of wine to soothe my dry throat. "The underwear is your punishment for not waiting---"

"Nope. I mean _your_ punishment. For not doing as I asked."

"Ridiculous, Ben," I murmured, but I could already feel my body responding to the threat that felt way more like a promise.

"It's an option. That's all I'm saying," he said with a casual shrug that belied the tension in his muscles.

Dear Lord, was this man sexy. Like a tiger, all sleek, hard muscle and barely had any restrained power in his body. He was ready to pounce at any give moment. 


End file.
